Veterinarians play a key role in implementing evidence-led best practices for disease prevention, detection, management and control in livestock, wildlife and companion animals. We also promote sustainable systems for safe food production. Integrating veterinary expertise into centralised multidisciplinary task forces enhances the capacity to monitor and manage disease outbreaks on regional (epidemic) and global (pandemic) levels. Our experience with animal and zoonotic disease response broadens the understanding and scope of disease transmission dynamics, adding valuable insight. This work is essential to the global and societal response to emerging infectious diseases that affect both animals and humans.
This Position Paper highlights the ongoing contributions of the veterinary profession to the prevention and control of animal and zoonotic diseases. It serves as a call to action for decision-makers to recognise veterinary expertise in One Health and offers recommendations for future pandemic preparedness.
The FVE recommendations aim to foster the recognition of veterinary expertise in One Health and pandemic preparedness for decision-makers.
FVE recommendations to deliver an enhanced One Health response to future potential transboundary disease outbreaks:
- Recognise the role of veterinary expertise and acknowledge veterinary services as a public good to prevent, detect, manage and control infectious disease outbreaks in both people and animals in the WHO treaty on pandemic preparedness and response
- Support the development of well-designed and resourced transboundary risk-based contingency plans to ensure rapid responses, efficient control and quick recovery to help anticipate, prevent and effectively address future pandemics in line with the recommendations of the WOAH Regional Commission for Europe Conference
- Deploy the One Health approach as a holistic, intersectoral collaboration between veterinarians, medical doctors and environmental experts in full support of the Quadripartite Organizations One Health Joint Plan Of Action.
Our One Health way forward:
- Prevent – The risk of future pandemics can be reduced by integrating veterinary expertise on biosecurity, biocontainment and vaccination into wider public health and environmental responses, utilising veterinary core skills in epidemiology and contingency planning concerning humans, animals and the environment.
- Respond – Timely management of infectious emerging diseases can be better achieved through an effective application of the One Health approach and through the development of specific and sensitive diagnostics, combined with data-sharing technologies providing early-detection, real-time monitoring and surveillance capabilities.
- Communicate – An effective One Health response requires accurate and coordinated messaging to deliver public cooperation and support societal investment in delivering the human and financial resources needed to prevent and respond to pandemics
