Veterinarian in Society

VETERINARIANS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

• Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" Public health is typically divided into epidemiology, biostatistics and health services. Environmental, social, behavioral, and occupational health are other important sub-fields. The goal of public health is to improve lives through the prevention and treatment of disease.
• An interdisciplinary team approach to problem solving, research, control programmes and communication is essential for the improvement of human health in a significant and sustainable manner. This is done by the veterinarians through their contribution to public health.
• Veterinary Public Health (VPH) was defined by the WHO consultation on "future trends in veterinary public health" held in Teramo, Italy in 1999 as "the sum of all contributions to the physical, mental and social well-being of humans through an understanding and application of veterinary science".

Zoonoses and public health

• About 75% of the new diseases that have affected humans over the past 10 years have been caused by pathogens originating from an animal or from products of animal origin. Many of these diseases have the potential to spread through various means over long distances and to become global problems.
• In addition a number of well known and preventable animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans (i.e. zoonoses) such as rabies, brucellosis, leishmaniasis and echinococcosis continue to occur in many countries especially in the developing world where they mostly affect the poorest segment of the human population. They cause a serious amount of deaths and millions of people are affected every year.
• All major zoonotic diseases prevent the efficient production of food of animal origin, particularly of much-needed proteins, and create obstacles to international trade in animals and animal products. They are thus an impediment to overall socioeconomic development. From way back veterinary medicine played a major role in the preventing of and interventions against animal diseases including zoonoses.
• Veterinary public health is an essential part of public health and includes various types of cooperation between the disciplines that link the health triad, people-animals-environment, and all of its interactions.