AMA president slated to address veterinarians at NAVC's One Health program

Orlando -

The zoonotic disease threat is hastening the need for better cooperation between veterinary and human medicine, officials report.

To facilitate the discussion, the president of the American Medical Association (AMA) is slated to talk to veterinarians on Monday, Jan. 17 about the importance of unifying the health professions at the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC).

The veterinary conference is hosting a One Health program crafted to help bridge the divide between the health professions.

"Developments in environmental, human and animal health such as climate change, bioterrorism and the emergence of new zoonotic diseases are increasingly mandating an approach to prevention and care that surmounts divisions of profession," explains Dr. Doug Mader, NAVC president.

One Health is described as a movement to forge an equal collaboration between physicians, veterinarians and other health and scientific disciplines.

The One Health Initiative is currently championed by Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP; Bruce Kaplan, DVM; Thomas P. Monath, MD and Jack Woodall, PhD to further the goals of the initiative.

The One Health Initiative has been widely endorsed by organizations including the AMA, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global Alliance for Rabies Control, International Zoonosis Research Institute and World Association of Veterinary Laboratory.

"More than 60 percent of human infectious diseases and the preponderance of emerging infectious diseases have an animal vector," says NAVC Executive Director, Colin F. Burrows, BVetMed, PhD, HonFRCVS, Dipl. ACVIM. "Better collaboration is needed between human and veterinary medicine to protect public health."

The day-long session at NAVC will cover veterinary investigations of diseases in the field, the relationship of infectious diseases to domestic and wild animals, international surveillance to detect emerging wildlife zoonoses to prevent human pandemics and equip private practitioners--veterinarians, family practitioners and public health officials--to act as sentinels of disease.

In an evening session (6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.), presentations by prominent One Health advocates/supporters including AMA's Wilson; Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH, director of the Florida Department of Health’s Environmental Health Division; Carina Blackmore, DVM, PhD, Florida State Public Health Veterinarian; and physician Kevin M. Sherin, MD, MPH, director of the Orange County [Florida] Health Department.