News

ONE HEALTH Recognition Advancing…2019 & 2020

December 12, 2019

“...Medical schools are partnering with veterinary schools and zoos on cross-species education and research... The push for more cross-species research While doctors [physicians] and veterinarians have long worked together to heal animals and apply lessons from animal care to people, leaders from both fields have been pushing in recent years to make cross-species observations and research on natural health conditions routine, with the aim of improving health for all.

In an October 2018 article in Nature, 18 authors, most from medical and veterinary schools, advocated for a cross-species approach to disorders affecting the brain and behavior, saying that comparative research on humans and other animals will yield insights and treatments benefiting both. “Many of the same neurological and psychiatric conditions affect humans and animals,” they wrote, “yet clinical and research collaborations between physicians and veterinarians remain infrequent.”

... The idea draws lots of nodding heads, though finding the time and money to implement it in medical education and research remains difficult. ... Bringing medical students and veterinarian students together

Among those collaborations are a few such as the one at Harvard, where medical schools work with veterinary schools and zoos to cross-educate students and practitioners. Students might, for instance, help fix a bat’s broken wing, share knowledge about diabetes treatments in humans to advise on treating a diabetic lemur, and conduct a literature review on possible interventions for cancer in a tiger....

"The biggest benefit you can reap from this One Health approach is inspiration. The value is building a cadre of professionals in medicine who understand the interconnections.”

– Dean Odegard, MD, St. Louis Children’s Hospital ...”

And see:

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) NEWS

January 01, 2020

[U.S. Congress] Legislation would create one-health response to outbreaks

https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2020-01-01/legislation-would-create-one-health-response-outbreaks

“ ... The Infectious Diseases Society of America has endorsed the Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act, as have the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.

“Humans, animals, and the environment interact more than ever before, and a One Health approach is necessary to develop effective solutions to many infectious disease threats,” said Cindy Sears, MD, immediate past president of the IDSA, in a statement. ...”

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