28/04/2018
WORLD VETERINARY DAY 2018: CELEBRATING NOBILITY
BY: DR MARZUQ ABUBAKAR UNGOGO
“Between animal and human medicine there is no dividing line-nor should there be. The object is different but the experience obtained constitutes the basis of all medicine” Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902).
On admission into veterinary profession, all veterinarians solemnly swear to fully commit to animal health, relief of animal suffering, production and conservation of livestock resources and promotion of public health. These are the cardinal principles of the profession with the whole aim of providing quality professional services for the benefit of man and his environment. This is the calling of veterinary doctors.
Since time immemorial, man started to domesticate animals to ensure unlimited food supply and subsequently for security, transportation and companionship. Today, animals play indispensable roles in our lives offering compassionate companionship, sophisticated security services, protein supply, are used in sporting activities, biomedical research, cultural and religious practices and provide million jobs. A world without animals cannot just be imagined.
Like man, all living things are susceptible to infirmities of life falling sick or coming down with diseases, many of which can be adequately prevented, treated or controlled. These animals need to be taken care of either for humanitarian, economic or public health concerns. This necessitated the emergence of Veterinary Medicine as a formal field of study and profession in 1761 in Lyon, France. However, the story of veterinary medicine goes back to Urlugaledinna, who lived in 3000 BC in Mesopotamia and was an expert in healing animals. From there onwards there are references to “veterinarians” and veterinary practices throughout literature of all civilizations.
Humans and most domesticated animals and some wildlife belong to the class “Mammalia” and share basic biological features. To cut the story short, we all belong to the biological Kingdom Animalia together with monkey, fish, elephant, crab, tortoise, millipede, ant and ostrich. This similarity has two important dimensions with regards to human health. The first is the fact that humans and animals share most infectious diseases many of which can be transmitted from the animals to humans and vice versa called zoonoses or zoonotic diseases. Zoonoses include the deadly anthrax, rabies, tuberculosis, Avian Influenza, Ebola and so on.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), about 75% of the new diseases that have affected humans over the past 10 years have been caused by pathogens originating from animals or from products of animal origin. These diseases can be transmitted either through direct or indirect contact with diseased animals and materials they contaminated or through consumption of food of diseased animal origin. Since these animals are indispensable members of our ecosystem, only professional approach to understanding and controlling their diseases is the solution. Veterinarians work hard daily in farms, clinics, laboratories, abattoirs, universities, wildlife parks and zoos, boarders, airports and seaports, industries and sport complexes to bridge this gap and ensure our safety.
The second dimension is more or less man’s enquiry into nature and exploration into possibilities. This has helped in advancement of medical knowledge from embryo development to immunology, physiology to histology, gynaecology to geriatrics, basic genetics to genome projects and also understanding diseases, discovery of drugs and development of surgical procedures. Anytime you take a drug, be rest assured it was tested in mice, rat or dog before it was licensed fit for your use. This is the same with almost all surgeries. The contributions of veterinarians in biomedical research cannot just be overemphasized.
World Veterinary Day was initiated by the World Veterinary Association (WVA) in 2000 to be celebrated annually on the last Saturday of April. This year's World veterinary day falls on 28th April and is themed "The role of the veterinary profession in sustainable development to improve livelihoods, food security, and safety." A significant percentage of human population especially in rural areas depend on animals for their livelihood, in addition attaining food security through same means. For omnivorous humans too, a life without animal protein can not be imagined. However animal diseases pose a great threat to this lifeline of so many and only veterinary medicine can prevent and cure this diseases as well as ensure safe and abundant animal food sources.
According to World Veterinary Association (WVA), "It is estimated that the world population will reach 9.7 billion people by 2050 and the demand for animal protein and by-products will grow respectively. By preventing and controlling animal diseases, veterinarians play a crucial role in securing sufficient and safe high-quality food, improving the health and welfare of people and animals. They contribute to ensure the existence of sufficient resources for future generations by supporting the development of sustainable, responsible and efficient livestock production systems."
There is no better time than now to call on Nigerian government to ensure amendment and passage of the revised veterinary surgeon and veterinary practice acts, increase its funding on animal production and health to ensure we maximally utilize our vast animal resources in the country. It should be noted that incessant farmer-herdsmen clashes strong affect potential of our livestock industry and the quick implementation of the proposed cattle colony will play important role in moving Nigeria forward. This will not only ensure the much needed food security but will prove a rewarding angle for economic diversity and emancipation.
NB: Part of this article was first written and shared on some platforms in 2015.
Dr Marzuq Ungogo is a lecturer and clinician with Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria. He can be reached via [email protected]
