A Veterinary physician is at the forefront in nation building. He is uniquely qualified to fulfill an array of roles apart from preventing disease and healing animals. Over the years, veterinary professionals have played considerable and contributory roles in animal and human health and welfare, food security, food quality and safety, ecology, ethology, epidemiology, physiology, genetics, psychology, drugs and pharmaceuticals development, biomedical research, rural development, as educators, trainers, and policymakers, economic development through livestock production and management and in wildlife conservation, and the protection of the environment and biodiversity. We celebrate the World Veterinary Day (WVD) that will take place globally on 30 April 2016 to reward the most successful contribution by the veterinary profession. In all areas of the profession, they have a sea of opportunities and responsibilities to improve the health and welfare of animals, and therefore, to improve the health of humans. Our country is endowed with huge animal resource and is one of the largest in the world. It has 56.7% of world’s buffaloes, 12.5% cattle, 20.4% small ruminants, 2.4% camel, 1.4% equine, 1.5% pigs and 3.1% poultry (AHD, 2011). Livestock now controls a quarter of the agriculture gross domestic product (GDP). Livestock sector is emerging as a propeller of agricultural growth in view of rapid growth in demand for animal food products. Veterinarians stands tall in their effort to upgrade the existing livestock production systems to make it more profitable and instilling the sense of security and confidence among the livestock owners. They also provide extension services towards spreading the awareness about animal health and welfare. State Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) with Veterinary Animal Husbandry experts are striding ahead to protect and promote the invaluable resource. India has about 55000 veterinary institutions including poly clinics, hospitals, dispensaries and livestock man centers.
Veterinarians are at the vanguard in protecting the public health and welfare. It has been documented that 75% of diseases affecting humans originate directly or indirectly from animals. In the current era of globalization, the emergence or re-emergence of unexpected dreadful diseases is accelerating. According to OIE, it is estimated that five new emerging infectious human diseases appear each year, of which three are zoonotic. The Avian flu, Swine flu, recent Ebola epidemic as well as the too numerous human deaths caused each year by rabies, dreadfully remind us of the strong links existing between the health of people, animals and environment. Many of the infectious diseases (e.g. avian flu, swine flu, AIDS, CJD etc) spread in humans come from animals originally. Veterinarians partake in the effort to prevent spread of disease (non zoonotic and zoonotic) in animals through stringent inspection and quarantine facilities. Veterinary professionals work to promote food security and ensure that food from animals is safe from farm to fork. Through strict inspections and controls, prior and after slaughtering, meat safety is constantly checked. At all phases of the production and distribution of food from animal origin they are involved in preserving its hygiene and safety.
Animal husbandry is an integral component of Indian agriculture supporting livelihood of more than two-thirds of the rural population. The veterinarian is committed professionally and morally with the rural community. Veterinary professionals disseminate their knowledge to the community as a whole to improve the quality of life. In our country, veterinary service literally means the difference between life and death not only for animals but also for humans as majority of our poor population depends on animals for food, income, social status or cultural identification, companionship, security, where there is nothing more important than taking care of the animals that allow adults to work, families to earn and children to eat. Veterinarians intervene in different ways in getting their household improved through technology injection and innovation in their livestock rearing by providing them technical, financial and moral support.
Veterinarians are involved in cutting edge research in biotechnology, drugs and pharmaceuticals. Veterinary scientist endeavors in developing improved breeds of livestock and poultry to enhance to production and productivity. They also ensure conservation of our rich genetic livestock resource of our country. Development of effective animal vaccines, medicines, tests and methods has enabled us to detect, limit and prevent spread of many economically important livestock diseases like FMD, HS, CSF, IBR, BVD, RD, Fowl Pox, Anthrax, Rabies and many other diseases. Companion animals also play important roles in service work, not only in assisting people with special needs but also in herding, search and rescue, drug and chemical detection, police and military assistance, and hunting and retrieving. Research into their diseases, behavior and training needs of this special group of companion animals has increased their quality of life and enhance their performance as assistants, protectors, and life-savers. Veterinary researchers are addressing important research issues related to disease epidemiology, biological terrorism and emerging disease. Research of wildlife diseases contributes not only to wildlife health and conservation but also to the study of emerging infectious diseases, many of which are zoonotic. Veterinary researchers have an important role to play in the advancement of ecosystem health and can contribute in numerous and diverse ways.
The veterinarians partner with zoologists and conservationists, and are often at the fore of emergency relief to treat animals affected by flood, cyclone, earthquake, tsunami, forest fires and other natural disasters, which not only affect wildlife, but also farm and companion animals.
Disaster victims will also often protect their animals even to their own detriment. To them, losing animals from a natural or man-made disaster is an added adversity. Veterinarians and animal protection experts are included in disaster assessment teams and their advice used in community disaster planning. There are engaged in shelter, rescue and veterinary care during natural disaster.
Veterinarians provide homeland security. The Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC), one of the oldest services of the Indian Armed Forces. The Corps contributes to the logistic needs of the Armed Forces, is proud of its highly competent and well organized infrastructure in the equine and canine fields. RVC is responsible for breeding, rearing and training of equines for the Army. It provides animals (generally mules) to the Animal Transport (AT) Units and horses to the President Body Guard as well as other Cavalry Units.
A Veterinarian is well trained to be a potential entrepreneur. His in-depth skill and knowledge in animal breeding, nutrition, livestock product technologies (dairy, meat and animal byproducts, processing and marketing) can bring about revolution in the national economy.
The animal kingdom has a lot to offer the human race, in terms of food, clothing, medicine, research opportunities, foreign exchange and new improved genetic strain and breeds. One Health approach by working with physicians and ecologists, the veterinarians can improve health and well-being through the prevention of risks and the mitigation of effects of crisis that originate at the interaction between humans, animals and their various environments. “Continuing Education with a One Health Focus” is therefore the theme for the World Veterinary Day, 2016. The role of veterinarian in nation building is thus commendable but challenges are enormous. An adage says ‘Only a person who loves a challenge would take on patients who can’t tell them where it hurts’
Dr Debojyoti Borkotoky Subject Matter Specialist (Animal Science) KVK, ICAR-NRC on Mithun, Porba, Phek
