Alternative Paradigms in Animal Health Decisions: A Framework for Treating Animals Not Only as Commodities

Abstract

Zoonoses are diseases transmitted from (vertebrate) animals to humans in the environment. The control and prevention of these diseases require an appropriate way to measure health value for prudent and well-balanced decisions in public health, production costs, and market values. Currently, the impact of diseases and animal disease control measures are typically assessed in monetary values, thus lacking consideration of other values such as emotional, societal, ecological, among others. Therefore, a framework is proposed that aims to explore, understand, and open up a conversation about the non-monetary value of animals through environmental and normative ethics. This method might help us complement the existing metrics in health, which are currently DALY and zDALY, adding more comprehensive values for animal and human health to the “One Health” approach. As an example of this framework application, participants can choose what they are willing to give in exchange for curing an animal in hypothetical scenarios selecting a human health condition to suffer, the amount of money, and lifetime as a tradeoff. Considering animals beyond their monetary value in public health decisions might contribute to a more rigorous assessment of the burden of zoonotic diseases, among other health decisions. This study is structured as follows: after a brief introduction of zoonoses, animal health, and health metrics, briefly, different environmental health perspectives are presented. Based on this, a framework for animal health decisions is proposed. This framework introduces the “anthropozoocentric interface” based on anthropocentrism and zoocentrism perspectives.

Animal Models in Neuroscience: What Is the “Culture of Care”?

“…In the dynamic landscape of scientific research, AM utilization navigates a spectrum influenced by opposing perspectives, anthropocentrism and pathocentrism, where traditional scientific paradigms clash with ethical considerations [32,33]. Anthropocentrism, often reflective of traditional scientific practices, might prioritize achieving scientific objectives at the potential expense of animal welfare [34][35][36].…”

“…NAMs in neuroscience represents a pivotal shift in research paradigms, aiming to minimize or eliminate the use of animals while retaining scientific rigor [27,30,33,91]. These methods encompass diverse approaches, such as computer simulations, organoids, neural networks, and advanced imaging techniques like fMRI and PET scans [131,132].…”

“…They offer unique advantages, including cost effectiveness, reproducibility, and the ability to accurately replicate specific neural functions or diseases [27,29,32,87]. Moreover, these methods permit detailed and controlled investigations into cellular and molecular mechanisms without ethical concerns about animal use [27,30,33,91]. Embracing such alternatives is rooted in the culture of care, aligning with ethical principles by prioritizing the welfare of animals and promoting a more humane approach to neuroscience research [27,30,33,91].…”

“…Moreover, these methods permit detailed and controlled investigations into cellular and molecular mechanisms without ethical concerns about animal use [27,30,33,91]. Embracing such alternatives is rooted in the culture of care, aligning with ethical principles by prioritizing the welfare of animals and promoting a more humane approach to neuroscience research [27,30,33,91]. However, while these methods offer significant promise, they face challenges, such as accurately replicating complex neural systems and further validation and refinement to ensure their reliability and relevance in neuroscientific studies [27,30,33,91].…”

Testing and Refining the Ethical Framework for the Use of Horses in Sport

“…Recently within academia, two general theoretical ethical frameworks for animal health decisions and animal use decisions have also been published [15,16]. These differ from Campbell's framework, as they are not specific either to equids or to the use of animals in sport.…”