Controlling Campylobacter in the chicken meat chain Towards a decision support model

The goal of the CARMA project is to advise the Dutch government on the effectiveness and efficiency of measures aimed at reducing campylobacteriosis in the Dutch population. This report describes the framework of the CARMA project. Components forming the project are a chicken meat risk model, intervention measures in chicken meat production, autonomous developments, economic analysis, the societal acceptability of the intervention measures and the political culture in which the decision making takes place. The risk model is used here to estimate the effects of interventions in the chicken meat chain, from farm to consumer. The output of the risk assessment model, in terms of number of expected Campylobacter infections per age group per period, is input for the economic analysis. Autonomous developments that may affect risks in the near future are concentration in the production chain, increasing consumption of chicken meat and increasing away-from-home consumption. The economic evaluation focuses on the cost per case (i.e. Campylobacter infection) averted and the cost per (quality-adjusted) life year gained. The effectiveness of the interventions also depends on the acceptability of the interventions to stakeholders (industry, retailers and consumers). There are differences in the role that economic evaluation plays in the decision making of the two Dutch Ministries (Agriculture and Public Health) involved. RIVM report 250911005 page 3 of 56