Chicago, IL —The Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) celebrates the second inaugural One Health Day on Friday, 3 November 2017 and supports the continued aims of this international campaign, while furthering a One Health Coalition at a local level.
The One Health concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment.
According to Dr. Roger Mahr, DVM, Past CEO of the One Health Commission:
“Active leadership provided by healthcare practitioners is needed to promote and facilitate improved communications and collaboration among all health science-related professionals, particularly at the local and state levels. This relates to scientific practice, sharing of information, and technology development and application. The synergism achieved through the One Health approach can help advance health care for the 21st century and beyond, while protecting and saving untold millions of lives of people and animals in our present and future generations.”
Given the critical role of the veterinary profession in public health, the CVMA is committed to robust animal disease surveillance programs, disaster planning and other public health initiatives. The veterinary profession also has a leadership role in national security, which includes surveillance for animal borne disease introduction and threats to our human and animal food supplies.
There is much that the veterinary profession can and will do to support One Health initiatives through collaboration with One Health coalition key stakeholders. Veterinarians provide valuable input and insight within their communities regarding One Health in the areas of Animal Health, Public Health, Public Safety, and Animal Welfare. The ongoing collaboration between veterinarians, physicians and health science-related professionals at the intersection of One Health is essential.
The CVMA’s efforts in conjunction with those of the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association are not just for the benefit of animals and residents in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, but in the State of Illinois and beyond.