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The bovine tuberculosis (bTB) Strategy review is initiated by, and will report to, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
University of Exeter expert appointed to bovine tuberculosis strategy review
University of Exeter rural policy expert, Professor Michael Winter, has been appointed by the Defra Secretary of State, Michael Gove, to the Government’s bovine tuberculosis Strategy Review.
The review will:
- consider and advise on the opportunities for improved application, enhancement or acceleration of the interventions set out in the Strategy, including cattle vaccination, oral badger vaccination, improved genetic resistance and improved diagnostic tests, or to deploy new tools and/or technologies to fight the disease
- consider how delivery is monitored and how impact of the Strategy is evaluated (and what that tells us about progress of the disease and the dynamics of its spread), and make recommendations as to whether and how these can be improved
- advise on gaps in the available evidence and disease control tools. Recommend options to address these (including the application of epidemiology and research) to achieve the aims of the Strategy.
Professor Sir Charles Godfray, a population biologist and Fellow of the Royal Society, will lead the review. The other members of the working group are Professor Christl Donnelly, Professor James Wood, and Professor Glyn Hewinson. They will work with the UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss.
Professor Winter said: ‘Bovine Tb has been one of the most challenging issues facing the livestock farming community for many years. I look forward to contributing to this important review and seeking ways to improve the control of the disease.’
Further information can be found on the Defra website:
Date: 16 March 2018