World Veterinary Day, 2024 Veterinarians are essential health workers
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Dr K Rashbehari Singh
The 2024 World Veterinary Day will be celebrated on the 27th April, 2024 on the theme, ‘Veterinarians are essential health workers’ and is an opportunity to celebrate efforts from veterinarians, veterinary associations and others to demonstrate the competencies of veterinarians as an essential and integral part of health at large. Veterinary profession contributes not only to animal health and well-being but also to physical, mental and well-being of people.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Essential services are commonly defined as those services whose interruption might inflict substantial harm on the population at large. Emergency medical professionals, police, firefighters are paradigmatic examples of essential service providers.
Roles played by the veterinarians in protecting and advancing human, public, and environmental health are less recognized by the public, however, they are essential to the continued well-being of people and animals at the local, national, regional, and international levels.
In protecting human health through the diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases, clinical veterinary practitioners are often at the forefront. Veterinarians also work in communities in which the economic well-being of the human population is dependent on animals for transportation, labour, or food, but also in communities in which the emotional well-being of the human population is strongly impacted by the human-animal bond. Making veterinary services non-essential may lead to serious public health issues.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS
Essential workers are those whose work is vital for the core functions of the economy and society and who can’t work remotely due to the nature of their jobs. Essential workers were called on to meet basic needs during the COVID-19 crisis. They made vital contributions throughout the pandemic.
During COVID-19 pandemic, the veterinarians played a critical role in protecting animal and public health, safeguarding our food supply, monitoring for zoonotic pathogens, and supporting biomedical research, and countermeasures, such as development of COVID-19 diagnostics, and vaccines. Veterinary practices had consistently been designated as an essential health- care service throughout the pandemic and veterinary professionals adapted and responded to the recommendations to keep clients, patients, animal healthcare teams, and veterinary and veterinary technician students safe.
VETERINARY HEALTHCARE WORKERS
Veterinarians, veterinary assistants, veterinary technicians, and veterinary client care service representatives are the veterinary health care workers. They provide care at veterinary clinics, zoos, kennels, pet stores, stables, and shelters. They trim nails, clip hairs and bath animals; disinfect and clean both equipment, and the living spaces of animals, to keep them safe and healthy; interact with animals; play with them and observe their behavior; record any information needed on the animals’ overall health; monitor and record details of their diet, physical condition and behavior on the lookout for signs of illness, depression, or other symptoms that may require further care; and train animals to respond to commands.
The health and welfare of animals is safeguarded by veterinary service providers round the clock. Not taking care of the health and welfare of the animals, will negatively affect the health and welfare of humans. The meat, humans consume, is safe through meat inspection, proper treatment and management of animals by veterinary service providers.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY VETERINARIANS
i) Meeting challenges of livestock health: The contemporary roles of veterinarians go far beyond prevention and treatment of animals as the world becomes intricately inter- connected and more complex. Demand for livestock products increases as the world population grows and middleclass income rise. However, there are certain high impact diseases that do not allow animal husbandry to flourish. Certain diseases impact the performance of farm animals, leading to lower production performance and associated financial losses due to mortality and morbidity.
For farm animals, most appropriate herd health management practice accor- ding to local and regional agro-ecological contexts should be advised to the farmers. (To be contd)
The 2024 World Veterinary Day will be celebrated on the 27th April, 2024 on the theme, ‘Veterinarians are essential health workers’ and is an opportunity to celebrate efforts from veterinarians, veterinary associations and others to demonstrate the competencies of veterinarians as an essential and integral part of health at large. Veterinary profession contributes not only to animal health and well-being but also to physical, mental and well-being of people.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Essential services are commonly defined as those services whose interruption might inflict substantial harm on the population at large. Emergency medical professionals, police, firefighters are paradigmatic examples of essential service providers.
Roles played by the veterinarians in protecting and advancing human, public, and environmental health are less recognized by the public, however, they are essential to the continued well-being of people and animals at the local, national, regional, and international levels.
In protecting human health through the diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases, clinical veterinary practitioners are often at the forefront. Veterinarians also work in communities in which the economic well-being of the human population is dependent on animals for transportation, labour, or food, but also in communities in which the emotional well-being of the human population is strongly impacted by the human-animal bond. Making veterinary services non-essential may lead to serious public health issues.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS
Essential workers are those whose work is vital for the core functions of the economy and society and who can’t work remotely due to the nature of their jobs. Essential workers were called on to meet basic needs during the COVID-19 crisis. They made vital contributions throughout the pandemic.
During COVID-19 pandemic, the veterinarians played a critical role in protecting animal and public health, safeguarding our food supply, monitoring for zoonotic pathogens, and supporting biomedical research, and countermeasures, such as development of COVID-19 diagnostics, and vaccines. Veterinary practices had consistently been designated as an essential health- care service throughout the pandemic and veterinary professionals adapted and responded to the recommendations to keep clients, patients, animal healthcare teams, and veterinary and veterinary technician students safe.
VETERINARY HEALTHCARE WORKERS
Veterinarians, veterinary assistants, veterinary technicians, and veterinary client care service representatives are the veterinary health care workers. They provide care at veterinary clinics, zoos, kennels, pet stores, stables, and shelters. They trim nails, clip hairs and bath animals; disinfect and clean both equipment, and the living spaces of animals, to keep them safe and healthy; interact with animals; play with them and observe their behavior; record any information needed on the animals’ overall health; monitor and record details of their diet, physical condition and behavior on the lookout for signs of illness, depression, or other symptoms that may require further care; and train animals to respond to commands.
The health and welfare of animals is safeguarded by veterinary service providers round the clock. Not taking care of the health and welfare of the animals, will negatively affect the health and welfare of humans. The meat, humans consume, is safe through meat inspection, proper treatment and management of animals by veterinary service providers.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY VETERINARIANS
i) Meeting challenges of livestock health: The contemporary roles of veterinarians go far beyond prevention and treatment of animals as the world becomes intricately inter- connected and more complex. Demand for livestock products increases as the world population grows and middleclass income rise. However, there are certain high impact diseases that do not allow animal husbandry to flourish. Certain diseases impact the performance of farm animals, leading to lower production performance and associated financial losses due to mortality and morbidity.
For farm animals, most appropriate herd health management practice accor- ding to local and regional agro-ecological contexts should be advised to the farmers. (To be contd)