The Role Of Veterinarians In The World
18 years ago
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Posted
12th June, 2006 00h00
A statment by Dr Leon Russell, President of The World Veterinary Association (WVA) - Global miniaturization resulting from rapid travel systems and advancing communication technology is demanding new roles of veterinarians and veterinary organizations.
Man is an ever-increasing and frequent world traveler. Animals and animal products travel with him. Also, pathogens are also frequent fliers, and the veterinary profession must be ever alert to quickly recognize the introduction of epizootic diseases such as avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and numerous other highly contagious diseases. Some may travel with the aid of nature through storms and waterfowl flyways.
The veterinary profession must realize that the responsibility for biosecurity is a joint effort that must be shared by all who have a responsibility for animals and animal products – both farm and companion animals. Unfortunately, epizootic disease, zoonotic diseases, and emerging diseases are no respecter of animal species and can infect not only farm animals but also companion animals. The conventional barriers of oceans and mountains can no longer be relied upon to exclude pandemic causing pathogens out of any country. The veterinarian is actually a sentinel for the early detection of accidentally or intentionally introduced exotic animal and zoonotic diseases. And veterinarians are the first line of defense against agro-terrorism; they are the key component of biodefense. The three-pronged role of a veterinarian in biodefense is:
- To prevent the introduction of epizootic disease.
- To Identify introduced epizootic disease more quickly.
- To eradicate introduced disease more effectively.
Therefore, the role of veterinary medicine has an ever increasing global responsibility.
Veterinary medicine is a highly respected and compassionate profession. However, the veterinarian’s contributions are largely unappreciated because our colleagues have been so busy serving the public to broadcast the veterinarians’ contributions and global potential. Therefore this lack of appreciation is self imposed. Veterinarians fail to communicate to one another or to publicly display their broad knowledge, skills and the many contributions that their profession makes to society, and to the world at large.
We must also accept the rationale that global tranquility requires emotional harmony and full stomachs. Companion and draft animals provide the harmonious relationships, and livestock and poultry provide the protein to prevent starvation.
Veterinary medicine activates the tranquility components of world peace by supporting the human-animal bonding and companion and draft animal health and welfare; by combating emerging, exotic, and foodborne diseases; and by promulgating livestock and poultry health and food safety. These functions are best performed when there is communication, coordination, and cooperation among the multiple people, organizations, agencies, educators and industries that employ and train veterinarians to address the needs of their countries.
The World Veterinary Association (WVA) has an import role and that is to get society to recognize that veterinary medicine encompasses a majestic array of experts that contribute widely throughout the world, but is largely unappreciated. World Veterinary Day is an effective way to make society appreciate the importance of the daily contributions that the veterinary medical profession makes to the global society. However, the WVA needs to market the veterinary profession through more effective communications and workshops that will encourage private practitioners, public practitioners, educators, students and corporate practitioners to communicate and cooperate with one another so they appreciate and respect the many contributions of their great profession. What is needed is a global “partnership” of all the elements of the veterinary medical profession so that we can do what we should be doing and be recognized as the great profession and asset to society that we really are.
What is the World Veterinary Association and how does it relate to the “Role of Veterinarians”? First of all, the WVA is a federation of national veterinary associations representing over 80 countries. Also, the WVA has members from international and regional specialist veterinary associations, and a few affiliate (industrial) members. The WVA is a non-political, non-religious and non-profit making organization.
The WVA is both and “old” and a “new” association. It is “old” in that it was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1863 – or 143 years ago. It is “new” in that it was restructured in 1997, to almost a completely different organization.
I believe that the WVA is also a “new” at heart organization, as result of a WVA President’s “task force “ meeting called for October 2nd and 3rd, 2005, in Paris, France, to plan the future for the WVA. This task force consisted of eight key WVA members, including WVA Vice President Ming Johnson Chiang. After we thoroughly discussed the "Strength" and "Weakness'' of the WVA, we developed a detailed plan that will be used by me and the Council for the next three years.
We think of this as our "road map", which will guide us on our strategic plan. We have a very active part in the road map, for which we have "WHAT",''HOW', 'WHO' and WHEN" we will accomplish these goals in a timely manner. We believe that accomplishing the following “road map” goals will greatly improve the recognition of the very important and varied role that veterinarians have in today’s global society.
- Influence standards of interest to the veterinary profession set by the governmental institutions like OIE, WHO and FAO
- Develop Minimum Standards for a Veterinary Curriculum and Establishing a Global Accreditation System
- Establish Science-based Specific Policies on Animal Welfare Issues Based on Science, such as the WSPA Concepts
- Establish an ad hoc committee to define good veterinary practice in a code.
- Build a database on the WVA home page to supply information on veterinary surgeons’ acts, ethical codes and similar data.
- Increase WVA communications with a newsletter four-times a year
- Establish an Ad Hoc Membership Committee to attract new members and retain existing members by identifying the services to be provided by WVA.
- Increased industry participation in WVA through proactive industry contact with industry groups and WVA Affiliate membership
- Active Particiaption in the 29th World VeterinaryCongress in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 29-August 1, 2008
- Partipate in Veterinary Workshops of Developing Countries to Help Upgrade Global Veterinary Services, Global Animal Health, and Human-Animal Bond.
In summation, while the role of the veterinarian in the world is unappreciated, it is up to all members of the veterinary profession to step forward and show society what we can and do accomplish for animals, humans and the environment.
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