Improving animal health for poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods.

Summary

# Editorial Summary Working equids and poultry represent critical but often overlooked assets in low-income countries, functioning simultaneously as food security providers, income generators, and essential labour resources for vulnerable populations. Stringer's analysis within the One Health framework examines how targeted improvements in animal health—particularly focused on these species—create cascading benefits that extend beyond individual animal welfare to strengthen household nutrition, economic resilience, and community stability. The evidence presented demonstrates that enhanced disease prevention, nutrition, and husbandry standards in working equine and poultry populations directly correlate with reduced poverty indicators and improved food security across multiple geographical contexts. For equine professionals working internationally or with developing-world programmes, this work underscores that foundational farriery, veterinary care, and management interventions in working equids represent not merely welfare improvements but fundamental poverty-alleviation tools that enhance livelihoods for some of the world's most disadvantaged populations. The One Health perspective integrated throughout highlights how animal health cannot be separated from human health and economic outcomes, positioning equine and veterinary professionals as key stakeholders in sustainable development rather than peripheral service providers.

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Key Findings

• •Animal health improvements, particularly in poultry and working equids, can reduce poverty in low-income countries
• •Improving animal health has potential to promote food security and sustainable livelihoods
• •One Health approach integrates animal health with poverty alleviation strategies

Conditions Studied