Council on Public Health

The Council on Public Health provides expert advice and consultation on issues related to safeguarding animal and public health.

Composition

The Council on Public Health shall consist of 10 voting members, each of whom is a member of the Association, with experience primarily focusing on the promotion of the following:

  • Human health (five members)—Examples may include, but are not limited to the following:
    • Local, state, or federal public health agencies or  uniformed services
    • Animal control agencies
    • Academia
  • Animal health (five members)—Examples may include, but are not limited to the following:
    • State or federal agricultural or wildlife agencies or uniformed services
    • Private practice
    • Industry
    • Academia

Responsibility

The Council on Public Health is charged with the following responsibilities:

  • Provide expert advice and consultation on issues related to safeguarding animal and public health, as well as identify, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding emerging issues involving preventive medicine and public practice.
  • Work collaboratively with other AVMA entities and staff to identify and respond to emerging issues impacting human and veterinary medicine.
  • Provide recommendations to support and enhance the role of public practice veterinarians and USDA-accredited veterinarians in conducting regulatory activities for the prevention, control, and eradication of animal diseases and the promotion of food safety and defense.
  • Provide representatives to and work collaboratively with other AVMA entities to recommend and encourage programs that assure active participation by veterinarians to protect public health and contribute to a healthy agriculture industry.
  • Provide expertise and review of current information regarding zoonotic diseases in order to contribute towards policy development, proposed legislation, and public and veterinary education.
  • Provide recommendations to encourage greater participation by the veterinary community including public and private practitioners in the field of preventive medicine and public health.
  • Recommend and encourage the development and support of programs and policies designed to prevent, control, and eradicate animal diseases at the local, state, national, and international level.