by Veterinary Lead Dr. Thomas Easley

Veterinary Public Health (VPH) is an essential component of public health and incorporates various types of cooperation between the many relevant disciplines involved in the interaction between people, animals and the environment they share. VPH programs should not be viewed as operating in isolation, but as making an important contribution, as part of an inter-sectoral collaborative approach, to the improvement of a country’s infrastructure, economy and rural development.

Since the profitability and therefore the supply of private veterinary services is governed by several factors arising from economies of scale, such as the size of the livestock enterprises in the locality, the nature of potential or actual diseases, and the types of animals raised in the production systems, in areas where private veterinary work is unprofitable or where other types of market failure occur, economic or social concern usually makes some type of public intervention necessary.  Providing this intervention to the marginalized indigenous communities of the Bocas del Toro archipelago is where Floating Doctors shines like a beacon in the night.

Floating Doctors has integrated a VPH program into their daily operation for two important reasons.  The first being focused on human health in that domestic animals (including cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, poultry, and dogs) of poor people can be important reservoirs of zoonotic diseases that impact on their health, either through direct or vector-borne transmission routes.  In addition, history has shown us that zoonoses falls disproportionately on poor people with poverty, and unsanitary living conditions associated with poverty, being considered potential risk factors for zoonotic and food- and water-borne diseases in many areas of the developing world. The low standards of education and veterinary public health services commonly associated with poverty and marginalized communities increases the risk of transmission of zoonoses and food-borne diseases.

More importantly, and the second reason, Floating Doctors understands One Health and perseveres to integrate its implementation into all of their activities.  While One Health initiatives have traditionally focused on threats to human and animal health, such as zoonoses and a secure food supply, they have not typically promoted an understanding of the many beneficial physical and psychosocial impacts of human-animal relationships and how these can be leveraged to improve both human and animal health around the world.  Additionally, current One Health initiatives are undertaken at international, federal, and provincial levels yet often fail to have an impact at a community and primary care level, especially in poor/marginalized areas.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing.” This definition has included not only physiological, but also emotional and social (behavioral and natural) states as are often described in the definition of good welfare. It is well-recognized that where there are poor states of human welfare there commonly exist poor states of animal welfare. Similarly, animals often act as indicators of human health and welfare, as can be seen in the link between animal abuse and family violence. Considering health and welfare together — because of the interconnections of human-animal-environmental factors — helps to describe context, deepen our understanding of factors involved, and creates a holistic and solutions-oriented approach to health and welfare issues.

The North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC) has identified knowledge of One Health concepts and principles as a core competency for veterinarians who will graduate in the 21st century. Despite widespread exposure and support of One Health concepts, a recent survey of veterinary students at Colorado State University demonstrated that few opportunities exist within veterinary curricula for students to get involved and gain practical experience in this area. To fully realize One Health concepts and principles and ensure their promotion by future health professionals, veterinary students require tangible, specific applications.

Important goals in teaching are to challenge veterinary student perceptions and facilitate opportunities for not only applying and practicing core learning, but also learning how veterinarians are connected with their communities and with society as a whole. By understanding these concepts, opportunities are provided for long-term personal growth. For many veterinary students, identifying their role in the community as an individual and a professional can be challenging. After all, most of their adult lives have been spent in a focused pursuit of admission into veterinary college. Moving away from this singular goal and exploring their sense of self, their perception of service to others, and recognizing their inner potential to care and empathize with marginalized individuals is desirable both personally and professionally, with significant positive impact for society as a whole.

In a One Health model, factors contributing to each sector — humans, animals, and environment — are studied. Within veterinary medicine and particularly within the veterinary curriculum there is understandably a focus on the animal sector relative to the human and environmental sectors. However, in clinical practice and in community health, equal knowledge of all sectors is required. With Floating Doctors, the outreach experience provides students with the unique opportunity to gain more knowledge, acceptance, and understanding of a marginalized human sector and how the well-being of both animals and owners are intertwined.  Through a One Health lens, the increased empathy, compassion, and stewardship of early career veterinary professionals will undoubtedly lead to improved animal and human welfare, and thus improved community health.

Floating Doctors’ One Health engagement initiatives with the marginalized indigenous communities of the Bocas del Toro archipelago include the integration and community-level collaboration of veterinary teams with human healthcare providers. This team approach serves to cooperatively improve the health and welfare of humans and animals, demonstrating that veterinary care can act as a direct avenue to improve health and social service delivery for underserved populations.

Not only do students gain an appreciation for the power of the human-animal bond, but they also witness how it can be leveraged to motivate changes in behavior that benefit both human and animal welfare. By supporting and maintaining the human-animal bond, students also begin to appreciate that their work extends beyond the health and welfare of animals, but also directly benefits the psychosocial and physical health of their clients.

NOTE: For additional information on the One Health Model, please visit the One Health Initiative website and the American Veterinary Medical Association’s page on One Health