Major ‘One Health’ Initiative Unveiled
Professor Michael Day.
At the event, the WSAVA announced the formation of a One Health Committee which will be dedicated to driving forward One Health-related programmes and research at a global level. The new committee will be chaired by Professor Michael Day, Professor of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Bristol Veterinary School.
The One Health or ‘One Medicine’ movement is supported by a range of global human and animal health bodies, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). It recognises the close link between diseases affecting humans, domestic animals and wildlife in our shared environment, particularly in the face of developments such as global warming, and is working towards the unification of the medical and veterinary professions.
Commenting on the formation of the WSAVA’s One Health Committee, Professor Michael Day, said: “Discussions on One Health have tended to focus on the interaction between human populations, wildlife and production animals while the key role of companion animals has largely been overlooked. The WSAVA One Health Committee will focus upon current and emerging zoonotic infectious diseases for which companion animals play an integral role in transmission or act as reservoirs of infection. Major examples are rabies and leishmaniosis.”
Professor Jolle Kirpensteijn, President of the WSAVA, added: “The new Committee will also facilitate research into spontaneously arising diseases of companion animals that model human conditions. There is a wide spectrum of degenerative, neoplastic and immune-mediated diseases of the dog and cat with close similarity to human equivalents and the availability of current genomic technology means that major lessons for human medicine could be learned from investigating these animal disorders.
Finally, it will address lifestyle issues affecting human and pet populations, including the global obesity epidemic and the human-companion animal bond. Through the Committee, we will implement programmes which improve education and knowledge of One Health issues within the companion animal veterinary sector and beyond.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
