Collaboration Between Human, Animal Doctors Continues at 144th Annual American Veterinary Medical Association Conference SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — In the wake of the American Medical Association's pledge to work with veterinarians to improve public health, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is offering several sessions focusing on the collaboration between the human, animal, and environmental sciences at its annual convention in Washington, D.C., July 14-18.
AVMA President Dr. Roger K. Mahr, who made the One Health Initiative one of his top priorities during his presidency, will lead a track of sessions on the initiative on Monday, July 16. Titled "Fly Under One Flag," the five sessions will feature Dr. Mahr, Dr. Ronald Davis, president-elect of the AMA, and other experts in animal and human medicine.
The One Health Initiative aims to promote and implement collaboration and communication between veterinary medicine, human medicine, and related sciences to improve public health and advance health care options for humans and animals through comparative biomedical research. In the past 25 years, 75 percent of emerging diseases have been zoonotic, such as avian influenza, West Nile virus, and SARS, and the line separating human and animal health continues to blur.
"The convergence of animal, human, and ecosystem health clearly dictates that the 'one world, one health, one medicine' concept be embraced," said Dr. Mahr.
"Together, we can accomplish more to improve health worldwide than we can alone."
Dr. Davis of the AMA agrees that collaboration is key to address the changing face of infectious disease.
"I'm delighted that the AMA House of Delegates has approved a resolution calling for increased collaboration between the human and veterinary medical communities and I look forward to seeing a stronger partnership between physicians and veterinarians," said Dr. Davis. "Emerging infectious diseases, with the threats of cross-species transmission and pandemics, represent one of many reasons why the human and veterinary medical professions must work more closely together."
Dr. Mahr will start the "Fly Under One Flag" program at 1 p.m. on Monday with "A Vision for the Veterinary Profession," in which he will define the veterinarian's role in the One Health Initiative, focusing on veterinary education and the veterinary workforce.
"Critical paradigm shifts are needed in our approach to education if we are to meet the growing demands of our profession," said Dr. Mahr. "We need to bridge relationships among disciplinary areas, such as veterinary medicine with public health, human medicine, biomedical engineering and animal science."
Dr. Davis of the AMA follows with his presentation, "Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Action," from 1:20-1:40. He will be followed by Jarbas Barbosa, MD, head of infectious diseases at the Pan-American Health Organization ("An International Perspective") and Craig N. Carter, DVM, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Kentucky.
Another educational track on the One Health Initiative runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday and features such health experts as David Nabarro, MD, senior system coordinator for avian and human influenza at the United Nations, and Lonnie King, DVM, senior veterinarian at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the director of the newly formed National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED).
A final track of "One Health" sessions will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and feature William Stokes, DVM, Chief Professional Officer for the Veterinary Category of the U.S. Public Health Service; Michael Blackwell, DVM, dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine; and W. Ron DeHaven, DVM, Administrator for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and incoming executive vice president at the AVMA.
In addition to the educational sessions on the One Health initiative, the AVMA will announce the members of a One Health Initiative Task Force. The 12 members of the task force, representing various health science professions, academia, government, and industry, will be charged with developing strategies to promote collaboration among the various health science associations, colleges, government agencies and industries.
To find out more about the One Health Initiative sessions at the AVMA Convention or arrange interviews with speakers, please contact Michael San Filippo, AVMA media relations assistant, at 847-285-6687 (AVMA headquarters, through Wednesday, July 11), 847-732-6194 (cell), 202-249-4076 (Convention Press Room, beginning Saturday, July 14), or msanfilippo@avma.org.
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The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 75,000 member veterinarians engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. AVMA members are dedicated to advancing the science and art of veterinary medicine including its relationship to public health and agriculture. Visit the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org to learn more about veterinary medicine and animal care and to access up-to-date information on the association's issues, policies and activities.
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