During 2002 FAO, OIE and WHO defined Veterinary Public Health as “The contributions to the physical, mental, and social well being of humans through an understanding, and application of veterinary science”. Besides the importance of veterinary public health in the production and consumption of food of animal origin, this field also deals with zoonoses, occupational diseases and environmental health where animals are involved One of the strategies to decrease the transmission of zoonoses is to educate the communities about these diseases and ways to prevent them. Veterinary Public Health (VPH) in developing countries needs to concentrate its work at community level and choose programmes whose priorities are established having in mind the different diseases, based in risks evaluation. Success of these programmes is more likely if veterinarians join forces in a multidisciplinary team and when veterinary public health programmes are fine-tuned to the prevailing circumstances. Attention should also be paid to ecological, cultural, social and ethical aspects regarding the implementation of veterinary and sanitary control programmes. The Veterinary Public Health Group is a group of professionals from the Animal Health and Animal Production Services and the Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Initiative within the Animal Production and Health Division of the Agricultural Department in FAO .
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Veterinary Public Health
© 2005 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations