The Healthy People initiative is a decade-based national strategy to identify the most significant opportunities for improving our population's health. The latest iteration is Healthy People 2010 and represents the collective efforts of more than 350 national organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The AVMA has developed policies or guidelines that relate directly to 12 of the 28 focus areas of Healthy People 2010. The opportunities outlined in these focus areas, especially those relating to food safety and zoonotic disease prevention, should be a priority for the entire veterinary profession. State and local veterinary associations, schools of veterinary medicine, and individual veterinarians should acquaint themselves with the objectives of Healthy People 2010 and apply them in their public health endeavors.

Healthy People 2020 will eventually replace Healthy People 2010. The AVMA and the veterinary profession must poise themselves to continue to integrate veterinary contributions to human health and those of other medical professions.