Implications for a successful FMD control program in Sri Lanka

Many discussions are ongoing as to the improvement of milk production in Sri Lanka from the selection of quality animals for breeding to nutrition management. This includes a lack of policies for the protection of local milk production and the improvement of animal health. It has been estimated that the loss of milk production was 73 million liters from 2018 to 2019 during the ongoing Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak (DAPH key statistics). FMD is a major contagious animal disease that impacts milk production. There is a scope to improve dairy production in the country by supporting small-scale dairy farmers by controlling infectious animal diseases such as FMD. This review aims at identifying the areas where attention should be focused, to implement effective control measures against FMD.