One Health: Highlights from the BVA Annual Conference

The British Veterinary Association’s Annual Conference was held this year in collaboration with the London Vet Show. The 2014 programme theme was “One Health” – linking the health and wellbeing of animals with humans and the environment.

Amongst the speakers were professor John E Cooper FRCVS, Haith’s veterinary advisor, and his wife, Margaret Cooper LLB FLS, who is a lawyer with a particular interest and involvement in the legislation relating to animals. The Coopers spoke in a session entitled “One Health, One World: who benefits most when UK vets work overseas?” alongside Peter Jeffries MRCVS, Chief Executive GALVMed, Ellie Milnes, MRCVS, BVA grant recipient for projects in Haiti and Professor The Lord Trees, MRCVS.

The Coopers recounted their experiences of living and working in developing countries, highlighting the value of such work to local communities as well as to the individual. They emphasised the need for veterinary surgeons serving overseas to respect local cultural practice and to develop close personal and professional links with colleagues whose backgrounds and perspectives might be different from their own. They stressed how valuable to both parties serving as a volunteer can be.