Benefit-cost analysis of an epidemiologic approach to provision of veterinary service in the Sudan

The economic potential of two alternatives: (1) an epidemiologic approach to provision of a veterinary services delivery system centered on surveillance and selective actions and (2) a traditional mass vaccination program against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia were compared with the current situation of no specific animal disease control program in the southern region of the Sudan. The surveillance and selective actions alternative is based on the creation of an innovative, disease data collection network that would provide information necessary to direct selective veterinary activities. The economic technique used was benefit-cost analysis. Results showed that the surveillance and selective actions alternative was economically preferable to both the current program and the mass vaccination alternative. Additional major, non-quantified benefits of the surveillance program included improvement of veterinary infrastructure in the Sudan.