The World Veterinary Association (WVA) and Health for Animals announced this year's theme, 'Veterinarians Are Essential Health Workers', to emphasise that veterinarians' competencies must be regarded as an indispensable and integral part of healthcare.
While most people perceive veterinarians as purveyors of pet and farm animal health, the application of veterinary science also contributes to human physical, mental, and social wellness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 60% of all new infectious diseases originate from animals1, and veterinarians are essential in combating these diseases to prevent and control the spread to humans. Often, people think about veterinarians working with the CDC, in public policy, or at other large organisations. Still, we should not underestimate the role of veterinarians in practice. From disease prevention through vaccination in pets and livestock to monitoring herd health, prudent use of antimicrobials, collaboration with other healthcare professionals on the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health (One Health), and more.
Veterinarians have become very skilled in identifying and controlling some well-known diseases, and the demand for their expertise grows due to increasing human-animal interactions and the risk of transmitting disease due to shrinking habitats for wildlife2. Control measures, when strictly applied to animals, have resulted in a significant reduction of zoonoses in humans3. Veterinarians understand biosecurity precautions, can be a trusted voice in communicating risk and adequate caution to the public, and can be critical representatives in planning efforts to respond to threats effectively.
This World Veterinary Day, we want to recognise and thank all veterinarians in the industry and in practice for their noble efforts in researching, preventing, and controlling the spread of disease from animals to humans and for keeping our beloved furry family members happy and healthy.
We particularly want to give a big shout-out to the veterinary investigators in our network with whom we partner in multiple clinical studies. Without them, the development of innovative new products would not be possible.
If you are a veterinarian interested in participating in clinical studies for animal health products or a sponsor looking for a contract research organisation (CRO), please don't hesitate to contact us.
References:
- Zoonoses- The One Health Approach; CDC Yellow Book 2024
- Habitatloss and the risk of disease outbreak; Edward B. Barbier, Department of Economics, Colorado State University,Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Veterinarians andOne Health in the Fight Against Zoonoses Such as COVID-19; Roberta Torres de Melo, et al., Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University ofUberlândia, Brazil
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