World Veterinary Day 2021: Veterinarian response to the COVID-19 crisis
The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way of life and significantly affected human health; other impacts and consequences of disease control efforts are of great concern, including its impact on food security and farmers’ livelihoods along food value chains.
Veterinary medicine meaningfully and rapidly evolved, demonstrating veterinarians’ ability to cope, adjust, and adapt their roles to support public health, animal health, and maintain the continuity of the food supply chain in these unprecedented times.
In the 2021 World Veterinary Day, today, we celebrate the work of veterinarians who showed their adaptability no matter what segment of the profession they were in. While some veterinarians were dealing with market disruptions and working to ensure a safe and uninterrupted food supply, others were contributing their public health expertise to support the Government of Indonesia on the COVID-19 response.
“Veterinarians across all sectors have indeed stepped up to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. From supporting the acceleration of COVID-19 human samples testing in animal health laboratories, being involved in national vaccine development, to participating in COVID-19 task force and helping to safeguard food security and stability in animal food production,” said FAO ECTAD COVID-19 Team Leader Farida Camallia Zenal.
“From issues like food safety and security, to diseases that can be transferred between people and animals, veterinarians have the unique knowledge and experience that can be put to greater use during this global pandemic. This expertise can support the One Health approach and will help to prevent future pandemics and maintain public health infrastructure including the safety of people engaged in animal origin food production,” added Farida.
Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services Ministry of Agriculture (DGLAHS MoA) together with FAO Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Disease (ECTAD) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have been working on COVID-19 response with veterinarians in 10 provinces in Indonesia.
Engagement areas include food security and livelihoods, COVID-19 laboratory diagnosis, and advising on the measures to minimize the risks of COVID-19 human to animal transmission and its consequences.
“With previous experience in the control of avian influenza outbreaks, the veterinarians in four animal health laboratories are able to support public health laboratories to meet the massive demand for COVID-19 using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing. Up to April 2021, there were 75.595 samples tested,” said Dr. Ir. Nasrullah, M.Sc, the Director General LAHS MoA.
USAID Indonesia Health Office Director Pamela Foster said “The United States Government, through USAID, has committed over $14.5 million to support Indonesia’s COVID-19 response. We are proud to support frontline health professionals, including veterinarians, in the fight against this deadly disease. With support from USAID and FAO ECTAD, Indonesia tapped into Ministry of Agriculture expertise within its Animal Health Disease Investigation Center (DIC) labs to test human samples for COVID-19. This is getting more COVID-19 tests done faster -- and save lives -- illustrating the power of the One Health approach to disease prevention, detection, and response.”
Finally, veterinarians' work on animal and human health in the COVID-19 pandemic is worth a strong appreciation. “Veterinarians have an opportunity to assert themselves as key players in transforming One Health theory into collaborative action through focusing on food security, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and preventing future pandemics,” added the Chairman of Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association Dr. drh. Muhammad Munawaroh, M.M.
“Examples of veterinarians who have contributed significantly in handling COVID-19 are Prof. Dr. Fedik A. Rantam as a virologist and drh. Sudirman as the CEO of PT. Biotis Pharmaceutical, which has a vaccine manufacturing facility and has collaborated in realizing the national vaccine.” He said