Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 2021, 40 (2), 483-495 How can we realise the full potential of animal health systems for delivering development and health outcomes? https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.40.2.3239 H. Auty (1)* , E.S. Swai (2) , J. Virhia (1) , A. Davis (1) , W.A. de Glanville (1) , T. Kibona (3) , F. Lankester (4) , G. Shirima (3) & S. Cleaveland (1) (1) Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom (2) Anicare Vet Services, PO Box 2102, Tanga, United Republic of Tanzania (3) Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Tengeru, PO Box 447, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania (4) Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, PO Box 647090, 240 SE Ott Road, Pullman, WA 99164-7090, United States of America *Corresponding author: harriet.auty@glasgow.ac.uk Summary Animal health services play an essential role in supporting livestock production, with the potential to address the challenges of hunger, poverty, health, social justice and environmental health as part of the path towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) defined in the United Nations, 2030 Agenda. However, the provision of animal health services remains chronically underfunded. Although the aspiration that ‘no one will be left behind’ is core to the SDG agenda, animal health service provision still fails to meet the basic needs of many of the poorest livestock owners. This review draws largely on experience from Tanzania and highlights the obstacles to equitable provision of animal health services, as well as identifying opportunities for improvement. Delivery models that rely on owners paying for services, whether through the private sector or public-private partnerships, can be effective for diseases that are of clear economic importance to animal keepers, particularly in more market-orientated production systems, but are currently constrained by issues of access, affordability, availability and quality. Substantial challenges remain when attempting to control diseases that exert a major burden on animal or human health but are less well recognised, as well as in the delivery of veterinary public health or other public good interventions. Here, the authors propose solutions that focus on: improving awareness of the potential for animal health services to address the SDGs, particularly those concerning public and environmental health; linking this more explicitly with advocacy for increased investment; ensuring that the voices of stakeholders are heard, particularly those of the rural poor; and embracing a cross-cutting and expanded vision for animal health services to support more adaptive development of livestock systems. Keywords Agro-pastoral – Animal health sciences – Animal health services – Pastoral – Sustainable development goals – Tanzania – Veterinary public health – Veterinary Services. Introduction Livestock are central to the lives and livelihoods of millions of the rural poor in low- and middle-income countries. In Tanzania, for example, 60% of rural households derive income from livestock, which comprises 22% of total household income (1). However, livestock fulfil multiple additional roles, providing nutritious animal-source protein, social capital, household insurance, and manure for soil fertilisation, as well as the security to pursue potentially riskier activities, such as crop production, that rely on rainfall. Supporting livestock production among the poor can provide an important route towards sustainable development, equitable livelihoods, and household health and welfare, as shown in this issue of the Review and elsewhere (2).