Public Health Implications of African Swine Fever in Asia

January 15, 2020 — 

This is the Year of the Pig, a year to celebrate the porcine contribution to human nutrition and wealth. But it has rapidly become a disastrous year for pigs in many parts of the world. Pigs are important for humans as they are very efficient at converting poor-quality feed into protein for human consumption. Pork has become the second most commonly consumed meat, providing over one third of world consumption. Our world has approximately 1.5 billion farmers living on 2 hectares or less of land looking after crops and livestock, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. They care for most of the 1 billion pigs in Asia, a major source of protein, minerals, and vitamins. While they produce most of the food consumed in their regions, many of these farmers are undernourished living in a subsistence economy, with their livelihoods continuously vulnerable to climate change, as well as animal and plant pathogens.

Binns C, Low W. Public health implications of African swine fever in Asia. Asia Pac J Pub Health. 2019 Nov. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1010539519889539