Welcome to The Animal Echo

What if veterinary wellbeing depends less on individual resilience and more on the systems we work within? Dr Holowaychuk shares her view.

While workforce development is often associated with governments, educational institutions and professional organisations, the contribution of Veterinary Statutory Bodies (VSBs) is frequently underestimated. This article highlights that VSBs can play a more proactive role in strengthening the veterinary workforce beyond their traditional focus on regulation and discipline.

Collaboration is presented as a structured, demand-driven ecosystem that aligns national priorities with regional and global partnerships, supporting cross-sectoral One Health action and resilient governance. Capital is considered broadly, encompassing not only financial investment but also human, institutional, legal, social and knowledge resources, all of which remain chronically underbalanced in many contexts. The article demonstrates that only integrated investment across these three pillars can deliver lasting improvements, enabling Veterinary Services to address emerging health, economic and environmental challenges to remain fit for the future. 

Veterinary Services are going through important demographic and professional changes that are reshaping expectations around work and well-being. At the same time, growing evidence shows that veterinarians around the world face high levels of psychological distress, burnout and workplace stress. Drawing on recent studies from both the Global North and Global South, this article highlights key factors affecting veterinary professionals, including heavy workloads, financial pressures and limited recognition of their work.

Global health security is increasingly threatened by practices that compromise the integrity of food safety, public health and veterinary standards. One such practice, often overlooked yet deeply consequential, is the consumption and commercial resale of animals that died naturally without bloodletting, particularly poultry.

This article explores two emerging pathways: animal waste surveillance and underrepresented threats of wildmeat value chains. Studies led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) demonstrate how abattoir waste can serve as low-cost, scalable surveillance tools, generating early warning for zoonotic threats and antimicrobial resistance. Leveraging tools such as genomics, the case study on RVF shows how genomic and ecological monitoring in livestock reveal patterns that allow preventive action before outbreaks escalate.

Protecting animal health data starts with awareness. Cybersecurity expert, Pascaline Brossard explains why.

India’s animal health sector is undergoing significant transformation. Discover how.

From prevention to protecting ecosystems, young veterinarians explain how investing in animal health safeguards people, animals, and the environment.

A ripple effect: strengthening cross-border disease control and coordinated responses to transboundary threats. Discover more.

What motivates people to work in global health security? How do experts explain complex concepts like biosecurity to a curious 10-year-old? Two experts share.