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Veterinarians are Africa's first line of defense for public health

Veterinarians are crucial to public health in Africa, acting as the primary defense against zoonotic diseases, which are illnesses transmitted from animals to humans. While public health threats often bring to mind hospitals and doctors, many diseases originate in animals, with early warning signs appearing on farms, in livestock markets, or in communities where humans and animals interact. Despite this, veterinarians in African countries are underutilized in public health systems. World Veterinary Day highlights their vital role in protecting human health, food security, and national resilience, especially in Africa where millions rely on livestock. Diseases like rabies and brucellosis demonstrate the close link between animal and human health. Early detection by veterinarians can prevent widespread human illness. Although African countries have improved human and animal health reporting, these systems often operate in silos, leading to missed opportunities for coordinated responses. For example, Kenyan surveillance data shows that animal health data is not fully leveraged as an early warning system due to fragmented surveillance, under-reporting, inconsistent data quality, and weak diagnostic capacity. Climate change further complicates this by altering disease spread through changes in rainfall, temperature, and wildlife interactions. The "One Health" approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, is essential for connecting these dots. This approach e