BULE HORA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Course Name
Veterinary Public Health I (VPH I)
(MIVP…..)

By
Dr. Fuad Mohammed
(DVM, MVSc, Assistant Professor)
Ground Rules: What is expected of You
Punctuality
Switching off your mobiles/silent mode
Respecting others’ view
Active Participation
Attending the training regularly
Openness
Assessment Methods: Continuous assessment
Tests/quizzes
Assignment (group and individual)
Practical exam/report
Final examination
 HISTORY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

 In the 1760s,(Claude Bourgelat), established the first school of veterinary medicine in Lyon,
France.
 Popular modern thought is that this was the founding of veterinary medicine, despite some

level of animal medicine predating 9,000 BC.

 With the opening of the school in France, the scientific study of veterinary medicine was
officially born.

 As human medicine flourished and progressed through the last few centuries, so did veterinary
medicine.

 In the 1700 and 1800s, we discovered treatments for cholera, Typhoid fever, and tuberculosis.
 INTRODUCTION
VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH

Is seen by WHO “ as a linkage between Human

health
veterinary medicine and human health
 Aim: promote the well being, protect and improve
Veterinar Veterinar
the quality of life y y public
medicine health

FAO (1951)
“Veterinary Public Health comprises all the community efforts influencing and
influenced by the veterinary medical arts and sciences applied to the prevention of
diseases, protection of life, and promotion of the well being and efficiency of man”
 INTRODUCTION Cont…

DEFINITION OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH

• Veterinary Public Health was originally defined in 1975 join FAO/WHO expert
committee reports as a component of public health activities devoted to the application
of professional veterinary skills, knowledge and resources to the protection and
improvement of human health”.

Veterinary knowledge: Anatomy, Histology, pathology, microbiology,

pharmacology, Parasitology, nutrition.

Veterinary skill: the ability to diagnose and control of disease,

Resources: Finance, environment, trained man power, facilities.

 INTRODUCTION Cont…

 In 1999, a study group on Veterinary Public Health (VPH), convened jointly by the
world Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
Uninvited nation (FAO), and the office International des epizooties (OIE), and including
twenty- eight (28) experts from eighteen (18) countries, defined veterinary public health
as
 the contribution to the complete physical, mental and social well being of humans
through an understanding and application of veterinary science.

 It is a fundamental part of public health whereby human health and well-being are the
main objectives.
 INTRODUCTION Cont…

The predominant concern of VPH during the 1970s and for most of the 1980s
related to risks of chemical pollution of the environment and the food chain
e.g. from pesticides, groundwater pollution by animal waste,
natural toxins and drug residues in food

However, in the past two decades, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic

diseases (appearance after 10-20 years of complete absence or manifestation in
large numbers than usual) have acquired global significance for VPH

Resistance to antimicrobials among zoonotic bacteria

In recent years, the threat of a global influenza pandemic
 INTRODUCTION Cont…

SCOPE OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH

The scope of VPH is multidisciplinary.
 It involves not only veterinarians in governmental,
nongovernmental and private sectors, but also other professionals
such as physicians, nurses, microbiologists, environmental
specialists, sanitarians, food technologists, agricultural
scientists,

VPH directly improves human health by reducing exposure to

hazards arising from interactions with animals and animal products
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Human health is inextricably linked to animal health and production.
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
This link between human and animal populations, and with the surrounding
environment, is particularly close in developing regions where animals
provide transportation, draught power, fuel and clothing as well as proteins
(Meat, eggs and milk).

In both developing and industrialized countries, however, this can lead to a

serious risk to public health with severe economic consequences.

Thus, Veterinary medicine has a long and distinguished history of

contributing to the maintenance and promotion of public health
 INTRODUCTION Cont…

In general, VPH
 Stems from veterinary medicine

 Is the broadest and most comprehensive of health profession

 Serves as a link between agriculture and public health

 Involves a broad set of activities

 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Duties and responsibilities of VPH

1. Animal related activities

Control and eradication of zoonoses:
 About 75% of the new diseases the have affected humans over the
past 10 years have been caused by pathogens originating from an
animal or from products of animal origin
Prevention of occupational hazard
Establishment of surveillance and information system
Control of biting, toxic and venomous animals
Control of animal population, which serve as reservoirs of disease
Supervision of experimental animals.
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Duties and responsibilities of VPH

2. Biomedical functions
Epidemiological studies of human disease
Provide lab service
Production of vaccines and biological
Drug evaluation and control
health education and extension
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Duties and responsibilities of VPH
3. Food hygiene
It is desirable to consider food production as a chain, with animals reared on the farm
(pre-harvest) then going for primary processing (harvest), secondary processing and
distribution followed by final preparation (all post-harvest). "Farm to Fork"
Milk and milk products
Poultry and poultry products
Egg and egg products
Fish and fish products
Honey
Prevention of residues
Supervision of hygiene in food plants
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Duties and responsibilities of VPH
4. Environmental protection
It can arise through animal waste products as well as chemicals that may
be used during production (e.g. insecticides, antibiotics, etc...).

Condemned meat, organs, dead animals and animals’ waste (abattoir

effluents)

Practicing vets will also produce potential environmental contaminants in

the form of used needles, syringes, animal tissue and other clinical waste.
 All of these materials have to be dealt with in a safe and controlled way
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Further duties of public health veterinarians
 Control of important and export of livestock, their products and by- products
 Working out legislation, regulations which assist the implementation of the objectives
of VPH.
 Coordinates the activities of VPH
 Advice investors on the contraction of premises where animals are slaughtered or
their products product are processed
 Issues export certificate (meat, hides, and skins of livestock etc).
 Enforce the cleaning and disinfection of premises where food of animal origin are
processed, and vehicles for transportation of livestock and meat
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Duties of Ethiopian public health veterinarian
1. Conduct ante mortem and post-mortem inspection
2. Inform the management on the number of animals, carcasses and organs condemned
and detained
3. Supervise the hygienic status of the abattoir
4. Control the proper disposal of condemned animals or organs
5. Vigilant supervision of the clearing of killing floor, vehicles and equipments
6. Control the proper functioning of the swage and chlorination of water

7. Ensuring the proper functioning of the freezers, chilling rooms

 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Duties of Ethiopian public health veterinarian
8. Gives training in maintaining hygiene in abattoir

9. Assist senior meat inspectors in passing judgments

10. Compile data and submit reports to the department of veterinary service on the
number of animals, carcass condemned and diseases found.
11. Initiate the establishment of local slaughter house
12. Cooperate with the ministry of public health in the control of zoonotic diseases
13. Conduct research on food safety and zoonotic disease
14. Control and issues export certificate of livestock and meat
15. By meat inspection and quarantine unit service
16. Rabies vaccine production
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
VPH will continue to develop
Rapidly changing background of population growth,
 Increasing urbanization,
An increasing poverty and technology gap between developed and
developing countries
Changes in land use, the environment and the climate
 INTRODUCTION Cont…

Organization and administration of veterinary public health

At the international level:
 VPH is a unit of the world health organization (WHO). It coordinates the
activities of the food and agricultural organization (FAO) and the WHO.

The primary duty of VPH unit is to:

1. Workout guidelines, standards and recommendations on the prevention
of zoonotic diseases and food safety
2. Encourage, sponsor and coordinate research and surveillance activities
3. Assist governments in establish veterinary public health units
4. Sponsor and publish the results of meeting of the expert
committee
 INTRODUCTION Cont…

5. Conduct seminars, workshop and short term trainings

6. Support consultants and short term advise on especial problems

 By its very nature, the VPH program in WHO has been closely linked with
various aspects of the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE)
 REGIONAL OFFICES

 Africa: Congo Brazzaville

 Asia: India, New Deli
 Mediterranean region Egypt Alexandria
 West pacific Philippines manila
 Europe: Denmark Copenhagen
 America: USA Washington
 INTRODUCTION Cont…
Organization of VPH in Africa:
VPH activities are no well developed in Africa and this is attributed to:-
Poor economy- lack of budget, facilities (equipment, transportation,
reagents)
Lack of trained man power
Absence of legislation
Political instability
Drought, famine epidemics
Lack of cooperation between the concerned ministries
Lack of awareness among policy makers.
 THANK YOU
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS,
SUGGESTIONS