Animal Health Canada has secured $13 million in funding through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriAssurance Program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. This funding, announced at the Animal Health Canada Forum 2024, will support efforts to improve the health and welfare of farmed animals across Canada over the next five years.
Executive Director Colleen McElwain emphasized the importance of this funding, saying, “We’ve got a commitment of over 13 million dollars to help us with the work that happens within our divisions.” The funding will support various initiatives, including emergency management for animal diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine Fever, and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. It will also aid the National Farm Animal Care Council in updating the codes of practice for animal care and handling. Additionally, the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System will enhance its efforts in disease surveillance across the country, sharing vital information between provincial labs.
Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork Council, attended the Animal Health Canada Forum 2024 in Ottawa and expressed his support for Animal Health Canada’s efforts in preparing for the potential threat of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Canada.
“They’re kind of the national umbrella for ASF planning,” said Dahl. “We’ve made much progress, even ensuring that the communications pathways are open and on zoning agreements.”
The risk of prolonged trade disruptions due to ASF has been significantly reduced compared to five years ago.
Dahl also noted advancements in communication and international cooperation, particularly with the U.S. and Japan, stating, “The work with our trading partners on, for example, getting the U.S. to recognize the zones that the CFIA will be setting up—we’re working on that with Japan as well.” This progress has provided greater confidence in managing ASF risks and maintaining smoother trade relations.

The MPC GM emphasized the collaborative efforts between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), producers, and the government of Manitoba in preparing for potential outbreaks of African Swine Fever. Reflecting on the progress made, Dahl highlighted the importance of strong communication channels: “The work on communications between the CFIA and producers, and we put in a lot of effort working together to have an integrated emergency response plan with the government of Manitoba.”
He also pointed out the significant advancements in dealing with emergency scenarios, including depopulation strategies, stating, “How to deal with, if we have to depopulate animals, how we’re going to deal with that. And yeah, a lot of progress has been made.” These efforts are part of the broader ASF planning to ensure swift and effective responses to potential outbreaks.
McElwain added, “This funding strengthens our ability to work with members and partners to enhance foreign animal disease planning and preparedness, promote sustainable approaches for animal welfare, and improve our disease surveillance capabilities.”
She emphasized the organization’s unique role in bringing together federal, provincial, and territorial governments and industry partners to address animal health and welfare challenges. “Animal Health Canada is the only organization that pulls together these sectors to collaborate on animal health and welfare issues,” McElwain said.
She highlighted the organization’s commitment to the “One Health and One Welfare” approach, which considers animal health and the interconnectedness of human and environmental health in their work.
McElwain explained the types of programming that will be supported by the new funding, emphasizing a national focus on expanding the African Swine Fever model to support other diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
“We’ll be expanding our African Swine Fever model and look at how we can use that to support other diseases,” she said.
A key part of the funding will also go toward reviewing and planning the future of the CanSpot ASF program, which monitors African Swine Fever.
Furthermore, the funding will support revisions to the codes of practice for the care and handling of farm animals, with five species (beef cattle, equine, sheep, pigs, and poultry) under review, including a possible revision of the layer code. “There’s a lot of work in those areas, particularly in disease surveillance and updates to the codes of practice,” McElwain noted, pointing out that changes in disease surveillance will be a key focus moving forward.•
— By Harry Siemens