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One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach—working at the local, regional, national, and global levels—with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
Vets and Animal Health Technicians play an integral role in One Health because animals both impact and are impacted by people and the environment.
Whether as clinical practitioners, epidemiologists, or ecological experts, veterinary professionals are essential to advancing One Health and protecting the health and safety of its three pillars that are animals, people, and the environment.
When it comes to protecting the health and welfare of animals, no one is more committed or better equipped to handle the task than veterinarians and our teams.
They do not just provide reactive care for animals when they are sick or injured. They provide preventive care and monitoring that keep them healthy, work with owners, help manage their environment, provide animal behaviour guidance and much more.
Vets and AHT’s are the first and best line of defence against animal diseases that could threaten public health and our national security. They have the unique knowledge and experience to address the many ways that animals impact people. Prevent and treat diseases ranging from Rabies to toxoplasmosis.
“The high number of children living in shacks points to the increased risk of exposure to possible infection with zoonotic diseases from stray or pet dogs. Efforts from the veterinary authorities and welfare agencies should be intensified to reduce the number of free-roaming dogs in informal settlements. This will help minimise contact between infected dogs and the susceptible dog population. There is a need for public health authorities to educate the public on hygienic practices for people owning a pet dog, in particular children. Spaying or castration of dogs entering fertile maturity should be promoted to assist in reducing the burden of canine brucellosis.”
(Oosthuizen J, 2019)