Veterinary responsibilities within the One Health framework

In many cases a One Health strategy in zoonotic disease control results in the promotion of health of humans, animals and the environment. However, there are also situations where this mutual benefit is not that evident. For instance, when restrictions of veterinary use of antimicrobials to protect public health negatively affects animal health. This confronts veterinarians with a conflict of professional responsibilities. Society expects veterinarians to safeguard animal health and welfare as well as veterinary public health. But if a One Health strategy to combat zoonotic disease threats leads to a conflict of these interests, whose health should veterinarians protect? Working in the context of the food industry, veterinarians are sometimes forced to favour the economic interests of farmers over those of animals. With the One Health framework emphasizing the threat of zoonotic diseases for public health, veterinarians seem to have yet another reason to let human interests prevail. Our claim is that a more holistic perspective on One Health gives veterinarians an opportunity to strengthen their position as animal advocates. We will argue that the best way to safeguard human health is to promote the health of animals and the environment because prevention is better than cure. This implies the veterinary profession should promote animal husbandry systems in which the health and welfare of animals are integrated with attention to public health and the environment. We will substantiate this empirical claim by elaborating the role of veterinarians in antimicrobial resistance policies in the Netherlands and conclude that to serve public health, the central responsibility of veterinarians should be to champion animal health and welfare.