Evaluating the social costs and benefits of surveillance: the case of HPAI in Vietnam

Abstract

Economic evaluations of animal health surveillance systems are critical components of the assessment of their long-term sustainability and the improvement of their cost- effectiveness. Social costs and benefits of health information release through the surveillance systems are fundamental determinants of the acceptability and efficacy of surveillance and are often neglected in the evaluation process. This study presents the evaluation of social costs and benefits of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) surveillance in Vietnam. Three field studies were conducted in the South and North of the country. Data on animal health information flow networks and social costs and benefits were collected using participatory approaches. Non-monetary costs and benefits were quantified using a newly developed tool based on stated choice method and participatory techniques. The study showed that private actors incur many transaction costs in reporting the information. However social costs mainly arise from price drops due to information release on market which has strong influences on the decision to disclose sanitary information. This applies at all levels including farmers and veterinary authorities. Private actors of the poultry sector valued information on occurring disease outbreaks, which is perceived as a social benefit. However avian influenza information is scarcely disclosed in private networks as stakeholders fear its potential impact on markets