Research needs of Colombia in the light of the activities of the Colombo/German project for the intensification of animal disease control

This paper describes the characteristics of the Colombian animal production and health system. Preliminary epidemiological investigations and assessment of economic impact have identified bovine infertility, hemoparasites, helminths, and vesicular diseases as priority areas for future research and control. It has also been found that bovine infertility, to a very large extent, is due to faults in management and feeding. This situation leads to the conclusion that Colombia needs to find new ways to obtain comprehensive and unbiased information on the above mentioned productivity depressing factors which it is not now receiving through its reporting system, and that Colombia needs to extend its animal health coverage into the less privileged areas possibly through animal health management advisory schemes. Ongoing research and development efforts in general epidemiology and economics, as well as those regarding the above mentioned disease complexes are described.