The North American Veterinary Conference reported today that Cecil Wilson, MD, president of the American Medical Association, will be attending the One Health Symposium at the NAVC Conference on Monday, Jan. 17, in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Wilson will also participate in an evening panel discussion on the topic. “We are excited about the possibilities of collaboration among physicians and veterinarians that this meeting will afford—and by the implicit encouragement for physicians to think and act in a one-health manner that Dr. Wilson’s attendance extends,” said NAVC Executive Director Colin Burrows, BVetMed, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM. “The AMA strongly supports the One Health Initiative, the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for humans, animals and our environment. “More than 60 percent of human infectious diseases and the preponderance of emerging infectious disease have an animal vector. Better collaboration is needed between human and veterinary medicine to protect the public health.” The One Health Initiative is described as a worldwide movement to forge co-equal, all-inclusive collaboration between veterinarians, physicians and other health care and scientific disciplines. It is endorsed by various professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, AMA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global Alliance for Rabies Control, International Zoonosis Research Institute and World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The One Health Symposium, to take place Jan. 17 from 8 a.m. – 4:50 p.m. at the Marriot Hotel Crystal Salon G1, will cover topics such as global field veterinary activities to investigate diseases and their relationship to health among domestic and wild animals, international surveillance to detect emerging wildlife zoonoses in time to prevent human pandemics and equipping private practitioners to act as sentinels of disease. Speakers and topic titles will include: Donald Smith, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, professor of surgery and Austin O. Hooey Dean, Emeritus at Cornell University—“Our Veterinary Legacy: One Health” and “Moving Toward a One Health Future.” Paul Calle, VMD, Dipl. ACZM, director of Zoological Health, Global Health Program, Wildlife Conservation Society—“One World One Health: A Field Veterinary Perspective.” Kirsten Gilardi, DVM, Dipl. ACZM, assistant director of Marine Programs at Wildlife Health Center, University of California, Davis—“One Health In Action: Detecting Wildlife Zoonoses to Prevent Human Pandemics.” Florina Tseng, DVM, assistant professor and director of Wildlife Clinic, Department of Environmental and Population Health Wildlife Medicine at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University—“One Health: A Unique Approach for Human and Animal Health Monitoring.” Kate Hodgson, DVM, medical education consultant, Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine at University of Toronto—“One Health: Evidence for the Health Benefits of Companion Animals to Human Health” and “One Health Approach to Your Private Practice.” Drs. Smith and Hodgson will also discuss “Case Studies in One Health.” A special evening session and press conference is planned for 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on the same day. The theme will be how One Health practice can help communities respond to natural and man made disasters. Conference attendees can meet and hear brief One Health presentations by One Health advocates/supporters, including AMA’s Dr. Wilson; Lisa Conti, DVM, director of the Florida Department of Health’s Environmental Health Division; Carina Blackmore, DVM, Ph.D., Florida State Public Health Veterinarian; and Kevin Sherin, MD, director of the Orange County (Florida) Health Department. Drs. Conti, Blackmore and Sherin were recently named to the One Health Initiative website teams’ Advisory Board. For more conference details, click here. <Home>
