The Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center says, as the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary, it continues to examine how it can most effectively execute its mission of protecting swine herd health. The Swine Health Information Center, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in July, was created by the National Pork Board with the goal of protecting and enhancing the health of the U.S. swine herd by minimising the impact of emerging disease threats through preparedness, coordinated communications, global and domestic disease monitoring and targeted research investment.
SHIC Executive Director Dr. Meagan Niederwerder says the Swine Health Information Center has been built on five strategic priorities.
Quote-Dr. Meagan Niederwerder-Swine Health Information Center:
First, pillar one, improving swine health information. We can think of that through our disease monitoring programs.How do we provide that information back to veterinarians and producers to know what's circulating both domestically as well as globally? We also have a second pillar focussed on monitoring and mitigating risks to swine health.
How can we reduce the impact of any emerging disease threat on production pf pork? We also look at responding to emerging disease. As emerging diseases arise globally, we want to look at that, we want to understand the risks, we want to put into place preparedness and prevention protocols to reduce the likelihood of introduction and impact.
We also have a pillar four, surveillance and discovery of emerging diseases.
How do we detect those emerging diseases should they be introduced into our swine herds? How can we do that on a population level that gives us the most urgent detection of any new pathogens? We also have a pillar five, swine disease matrices.
This is how we evaluate the prioritization of diseases. Which ones should bubble to the top with regards to research investment for that pork checkoff investment.
Full details on the work of the Swine Health Information Center can be accessed at swinehealth.org.
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