Australia: Veterinarians Launch 2010 Federal Election Priorities

Increased funding to combat infectious diseases and improve biosecurity must be included in future Commonwealth Government planning, says Australia’s peak veterinary organisation. Today the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) launched its 2010 federal election platform, with recommendations that will help safeguard Australia’s animal industries, prevent infectious diseases, and ensure healthy communities. With around 75 per cent of emerging diseases affecting both humans and animals, the AVA says that funding is needed to address threats from diseases such as Hendra virus, Nipah virus, avian influenza and SARS. “Factors such as climate change and habitat destruction have increased the threats from zoonotic diseases, which are often transferred from wildlife, to domestic animals and then to humans,” said Dr Barry Smyth, President of the Australian Veterinary Association. “We are calling for the establishment of a new Centre for Infectious Diseases based on collaboration between animal and human health institutes to ensure effective recognition, control and treatment of such diseases. “We are also calling for a commitment of $260 million from the new Commonwealth Government in its first term to fix national defences against animal and plant diseases, which were identified in the Beale Review into Biosecurity and Quarantine,” he said. Australia’s rural communities rely heavily on local veterinarians to ensure food safety, productivity, and animal health and welfare. “We are concerned that rural communities are suffering due to an inability to retain qualified veterinarians,” said Dr Smyth. “The AVA is proposing the Australian Government commits to a special tertiary debt-based incentive program, similar to schemes already introduced in New Zealand and the United States, to encourage recent graduates to commit to working in rural areas,” he said. A copy of the AVA policy platform Veterinarians: our health and agriculture depend on them is available online.

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