Rapid Appraisal Technique for Assessing the Economic Impact of a Notifiable Disease Outbreak

This technique is suitable for quickly assessing the likely scale of economic impact of an outbreak of a disease which can result in the temporary closure of export markets for host products. For example, the 2001 F&M outbreak resulted in the temporary closure not just of export markets, but also of the countryside, resulting in a substantial social and economic impact. The research produced a quick assessment of the potential scale of the disruption to the normal patterns of production and sale of host products arising from the export ban, as well as of the potential for import substitution to provide an outlet for banned exports of host products.