9 October 2004
Contact: Stephen M. Apatow, Director of
Research and Development, Humanitarian University
Consortium GraduateStudies
Center
for Medicine,
Veterinary
Medicine and Law. Email: s.m.apatow@pathobiologics.org
Dear Colleagues:
I would like to announce
the formation of the International Veterinary
Public Health Consortium. This platform will be hosted by
Pathobiologics International, the consulting arm of Humanitarian
Resource Institute and the Humanitarian University Consortium.
At this time, I would
like to open this resource to members of the
academic community worldwide, to provide an opportunity for
participation, collaboration and presentation of topics for (1)
advocacy initiatives (2)
country by country analysis, in support of
optimization of the veterinary public health infrastructure and (3)
funding via communications initiatives with corporate,
inter-governmental,
non-governmental,
United Nations organizations in approximately
195 countries. Topics and reference materials will be
posted on the International
Veterinary Public Health Consortium web site: <http://www.pathobiologics.org/ivphc>.
This international
initiative will facilitate real time rapid response
to biodefense and emerging infectious disease issues with the capacity
to activate the Pathobiologics
Collaborating Center (PCC), that serves as a password protected
platform for information deemed sensitive for public discussion.
The
PCC concept was developed, as per the suggestion of Martin Hugh Jones,
Director of the WHO Collaborating
Center
for
Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems for Public Health, to
facilitate academic discussions that are beyond the scope of
ProMEDmail, a program of the International
Society for Infectious Diseases.
Discussion topics and
communications can be directed to: s.m.apatow@pathobiologics.org (Note "IVPHC" in the subject line).
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http://www.who.int/docstore/wer/pdf/1999/wer7419.pdf
Future trends in
veterinary public health
Weekly Epidemiological
Record, No. 19, 14 May 1999
Human health is
inextricably linked to animal health and production.
This link between human and animal populations, and with the
surrounding environment, is particularly close in developing regions
where animals provide proteins (meat and milk), transportation, draught
power, fuel and clothing. In both developing and industrialized
countries, however, this can lead to a serious risk to public health
with severe economic consequences. A number of communicable diseases
(known as zoonoses) are transmitted from animals to humans. Among them
several are emerging or re-emerging. Some recent examples are: the
increased incidence of foodborne diseases (e.g. Salmonella enteritidis,
Escherichia coli O157:H7); the emergence of newly identified zoonotic
agents such as those responsible for bovine spongiform
encephalopathy/new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (United Kingdom,
1986);1 the Nipah virus (Malaysia, 1999);2 “bird flu” influenza virus
A(H5N1) (Hong Kong SAR, 1997).3 Other zoonotic diseases such as rabies,
brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) have been
controlled or eliminated in several industrialized countries, but
remain endemic in developing regions. In addition, known zoonotic
agents have re-emerged after sometimes many years of absence. Outbreaks
of leptospirosis, anthrax, monkeypox, Rift Valley fever, visceral
leishmaniasis and arbovirus infections involving production animals,
have continued to appear in many industrialized and developing
countries. In addition, animal-associated opportunistic infections
(e.g. Mycobacterium bovis, Toxoplasma gondii, Listeria monocytogenes)
have been reported in people infected with the human immunodeficiency
virus, as well as in the general population.
The reasons for this
upward trend are diverse and complex but some of
them can be summarized as follows:
-- alteration of the
environment affecting the size and distribution of
certain animal species, vectors and transmitters of infectious agents
affecting humans;
-- increasing human
intrusion into previously unpopulated areas (e.g.
tropical forests) favouring contact between people and new agents
carried by infected animals;
-- inadequacy and
deterioration of public health and veterinary
infrastructures, particularly in developing regions;
-- misuse of antibiotics
and antimicrobial drugs in humans and animals,
which can hasten the evolution of resistant microbes;
-- deforestation, changes
in climate and weather that may affect
infectious agents and/or vectors and animal hosts;
-- continuing evolution
of pathogenic microorganisms;
-- new medical tools such
as xenotransplantation;
-- industrialization and
intensification of the animal production
sector;
-- changes in food
processing, food distribution and the nutritional
habits of consumers;
-- increase in
international movements of people as well as in
international trade of animals and animal products;
-- increased number of
immunocompromised persons.
All
major zoonotic diseases, emerging, re-emerging or endemic, in addition
to being a direct public health problem by affecting the health and
well-being of millions of people, also prevent the efficient production
of food, particularly of much-needed proteins, and create obstacles to
international trade in animals and animal products. They are thus an
impediment to overall socioeconomic development.
Veterinary medicine has a long and distinguished history of
contributing to the maintenance and promotion of public health. Health
is multidimensional; thus health policy and practice should be
interdisciplinary and intersectoral. Therefore, the improvement of the
health and wellbeing of a population requires more than the health
sector alone. The contributions of other sectors, in particular
agriculture, animal health and production, the food industry,
education, housing, public works and communication, are vital. Such
concerted action is particularly critical in developing countries with
weak infrastructures and limited resources.
As a result of this multidisciplinary concept, the principle of
veterinary public health (VPH) evolved formally as part of the World
Health Organization’s strategy for health. The principles of VPH are
deeply rooted in the biological, physical and social sciences and are
widely shared in agriculture, medicine and the environmental sciences.
Since its establishment 50 years ago WHO has provided global leadership
in VPH, particularly on zoonotic and foodborne zoonotic disease
prevention, surveillance and control.
The recent meeting of the study group on future trends in veterinary
public health was organized jointly by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome (Italy), the Office
international des épizooties (OIE), Paris (France), the World
Health
Organization (WHO), Geneva (Switzerland), and the WHO/FAO collaborating
centre for research and training in veterinary epidemiology and
management (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abbruzzo e del
Molise), Teramo (Italy). Twenty-eight experts from 18 developing and
industrialized countries, with both veterinary and medical backgrounds,
from academic, research, public and private sectors and nongovernmental
organizations, contributed to the meeting, along with representatives
from the 3 international organizations and from WHO, FAO and OIE
collaborating centres.
The major objectives of the study group were to review the contribution
of veterinary science to public health and assess the needs of Member
States (particularly in developing regions) concerning the organization
and management of VPH programmes and activities, and to give guidance
to the international organizations concerned on how to respond better
to these needs.
Major subjects addressed during the meeting were the role of
international and national institutions in promoting and assisting VPH
programmes; the implication for VPH of increasing trends in population
growth, international travel, urbanization and other environmental
changes, as well as of the increasing international trade in animals
and animal products and the intensification of animal production. The
participants also addressed the challenge posed to current surveillance
and control programmes by emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases.
Organizational requirements and management of VPH programmes were
discussed as well as the implication of structural adjustment
programmes and privatization of the veterinary ser-vices. The needs for
basic and applied research to meet new challenges in VPH, along with
staff development and utilization, were also addressed.
To meet the challenge ahead for this relatively new discipline, a new
definition for VPH was suggested by the participants as: “The
contribution to the complete physical, mental, and social well-being of
humans through an understanding and application of veterinary medical
science”.
The conclusions and recommendations of the meeting cover 4 main areas:
(1) scope and function of VPH; (2) new and future trends in VPH; (3)
organization and management of VPH services and programmes; and (4)
staff development and utilization in VPH..
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