The Historical, Present, and Future Role of Veterinarians in One Health

Abstract

The renewed interest in the concept of One Health has occurred as a result of the increased emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases over the past decade. The subsequent impacts of these diseases on human, livestock, and wildlife health, as well as the economic effects, have given international health organizations and national governments a greater appreciation of the importance of collaborative efforts in solving health problems. The One Health concept is not new, but under its umbrella, a new generation of veterinarians, physicians, ecologists, biologists, and social scientists is shaping the concept in novel ways. This has led to increased support for One Health initiatives to control disease by international agencies, national governments, and nongovernmental organizations as well as a growing emphasis on One Health concepts in training the veterinary workforce. Veterinary schools are reorganizing veterinary education to better teach students the precepts of One Health. This chapter explores the evolution and application of the One Health concept from the perspective of the veterinarian. The veterinary profession is positioned to be a strong advocate and leader of One Health. Veterinarians have a long history of involvement with One Health activities, and this involvement has adjusted and shifted with the changing needs of society. A new area of work for veterinarians is ecosystem health, which is becoming more relevant as a result of the impact that the ever-increasing human population is having on the environment that supports them.

Establishing research priorities to improve the One Health efficacy of Australian general practitioners and veterinarians with regard to zoonoses: A modified Delphi survey

“…Experts with a veterinary background were significantly more likely to rate cross-professional referral/consultation as extremely important to the One Health effectiveness of both GPs and veterinarians. This may reflect the fact that veterinarians have historically had greater engagement with One Health [ 6 , 34 , 35 ] and so may be more familiar with definitions of One Health, which includes reference to collaboration [ 35 , 36 ]. Many veterinarians report frustration in the lack of understanding of their knowledge and skill set, and poor engagement by some in the human health sector [ 34 , 37 ].…”

“…Despite invitations being sent to even numbers of experts from veterinary and non-veterinary backgrounds, approximately 2/3 of responses were from experts with a veterinary background. This may be due to the fact that, historically, veterinarians have had more engagement with One Health [ 5 , 35 ], and may be more likely to see the benefits of a One Health approach. The lower response rate from experts with a non-veterinary background may mean that the responses may not be an accurate reflection of the opinions of this cohort.…”

A system dynamics approach to understanding the One Health concept

“…In particular, emerging zoonotic disease problems are now remarkable common [ 5 ] and very complex. Controlling these complex problems often requires interdisciplinary approaches such as One Health [ 6 , 7 ]. Despite the One Health concept’s growing popularity and acceptance by the professional community, the definition of the term remains imprecise.…”

Practices and Perceptions of Animal Contact and Associated Health Outcomes in Pregnant Women and New Mothers

“…The differences in training and practice between the two professionals might further explain the disparities in their knowledge of and perceptions toward animal contact and the associated health outcomes observed in previous studies ( 12 – 15 ). The One Health initiative provides an opportunity to bridge the knowledge gap between human medicine and veterinary medicine ( 16 , 30 , 31 ). The One Health concepts are built on the idea that human health and animal health are closely connected through a shared environment.…”