An agreement between the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the University of Liverpool supported the convening of a Technical Working Group (TWG) for technical support for the development of a framework for understanding the burden of diseases of farmed aquatic organisms.

The group met virtually on three occasions during April and May 2021 to learn about and give feedback on the development of a framework for understanding the burden of diseases of farmed aquatic organisms. The TWG members represent High-, and Low- and Middle-income countries, with representatives from the public and private sectors, research institutes and academia. Importantly, several members are involved in the Progressive Management Pathway for Aquaculture Biosecurity (of which burden of diseases is a pillar). The TWG meetings successfully elicited expert opinion about the key issues that need to be considered when developing a framework for understanding the burden of diseases in farmed aquatic organisms. This expert opinion guided the production of a technical report and a 12-step checklist to support application of the GBADs framework.