News

World Veterinary Association President Reiterates Strong Endorsement of One Health Concept

“The World Veterinary Association (WVA) has practiced support of the One World-One Health concept in principle since its inception in 1863 even though the name applied to One Health may have changed over the years.  However, the 21^st century brings major new challenges and an increased urgency for multi-disciplinary cooperation to address these challenges, which the One Health Initiative has clearly helped highlight around the world.  The WVA supports such collaboration in approaching these problems, especially in terms of infectious disease, zoonotic disease, the use of antimicrobials, and environmental protection.  Let’s change the paradigm from silos of professional interests to collaboration together, from reaction and treatment to prevention, from restoring health to maintaining health, from crisis management to strategic protection in the first place.  We know the best way to prevent human rabies is vaccination of dog populations as a “protective barrier” between the risks of pathogens in wildlife reservoirs and people.  That model would work for an infinite number of other examples.  With better education, efficacious health-related infrastructure, and increased research and development of new emerging technologies, such as vaccines and genetics, could we prevent some of the “spillover” across species, such as future Ebola outbreaks?  If we work together to prevent disease in the first place, the health and welfare of people, animals, and our shared environment will be vastly improved with less suffering and at less economic cost.” 

Please see the March 20, 2014 official WVA One Health endorsement statement http://www.worldvet.org/library.php?item=315&cat=1&view=item and http://www.worldvet.org/uploads/docs/wva_position_paper_on_one__health_concept.pdf.

Provided to One Health Initiative website March 7, 2015 by:

René A. Carlson, DVM, President, World Veterinary Association

Note: Dr. Carlson https://www.avma.org/About/Governance/Leadership/Pages/AVMA-Officers-Dr-Rene-A-Carlson.aspx, a past President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), is a longstanding One Health leader/supporter/advocate http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/supporters.php.

*Previously reported on the One Health Initiative website NEWS, a historic milestone World Veterinary Association/World Medical Association GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON ONE HEALTH is scheduled for May 21-22, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. SEE: http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/news.php?query=World+Veterinary+Association%2FWorld+Medical+Association+GLOBAL+CONFERENCE+ON+ONE+HEALTH and program draft http://www.wma.net/en/50events/20otherevents/80onehealth/ONE-HEALTH-2015---DRAFT-AGENDA_20150220.pdf.