Globalization and one health: A gateway to the future?

On Tuesday March 17, at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo., more than 250 livestock industry professionals gathered for NIAA’s theme of “One Health: Implications for Animal Agriculture.” One Health is a collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to obtain optimal health for people, animals and the environment.

The One Health approach involves bringing the human medical profession on board with these issues. But that is easier said than done, said Harry Snelson, DVM, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, at the NIAA conference. “We have a long way to go to get physicians on board for a concept like this,” he said. “There is a lack of understanding of the issues.”