Young Vets become One Health Ambassadors

15 and 16 of November saw the third ‘Young Vets Meeting’, held in Brussels and organized by DG SANCO (Directorate General for Health & Consumers). 52 veterinary students, representing 48 different institutions, attended to discuss the ‘One Health Initiative’.

The One Health Initiative aims to “forge co-equal, all inclusive collaborations between physicians, osteopaths, veterinarians, dentists, nurses and other scientific-health and environmentally related disciplines”.

The meeting was timed to coincide with the ushering in of 2011 ‘World Veterinary Year’, which has also provided key topics of discussion. World Veterinary Year marks 250 years of veterinary education.

As well as touching on food safety, crisis management and animal husbandry, the discussions focused on the DG SANCO and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) slogan for World Veterinary Year: ‘vets in your daily life’, aimed at bringing into focus the important role vets play in our society.

The students were keen to contribute to debate on how to promote the diversity of veterinary care; expressing how they saw the veterinary profession as a part of modern society, Moa Berggren of Sweden said "vets work for animals, their health and welfare, but they also work for the food industry and for all citizens", while Lauren Bernstein of Ireland added "We're legislators, local physicians, farmers, advocates."

DG SANCO maintain that, in order to accurately represent modern veterinary work, the issue of perception and the need to share a common vision is at the forefront of their campaign, Alexander Lewis Stoll, of the UK explained the broadening scope of the modern vet’s responsibilities, saying "Few people probably realize that vets work in research and science and then in food and public health."

Alberto Laddomada, Head of DG SANCO's Animal Health Unit, hailed the meeting as a success, surmising that "These students are valuable partners for the Commission in spreading the "One Health" initiatives. Their energy and their pride in the veterinary profession work contagious, like a positive virus. They are keen to spread the "one health" ideas to both colleagues and the European citizens. "

Vets in your daily life’ activities will be taking place at numerous international events throughout 2011.