Page 105 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 3

ONDERSTEPOORT 100
The curriculum of Veterinary Public Health embraced inter alia the following:
• Veterinary food hygiene, food associated diseases of veterinary importance in respect of food of animal origin and zoonoses (diseases transmitted from vertebrate animals to humankind);
• Meat- and milk hygiene – all measures undertaken to ensure that food of animal origin is safe, sound and wholesome in all the stages of its production and manufacture until consumption;
• Veterinary aspects of environmental health – this involves the influence that intensive production methods have on the environment;
• The human-animal interaction relating to the protection and promotion of human health; and
• An introduction to the use of experimental animals in
biomedical research and the veterinary management and control of laboratory animal facilities to ensure optimal results and the most humane and considered use and care of animals in research.
Both the theoretical and practical aspects of the above were handled at an undergraduate level and expanded upon at a postgraduate level. Undergraduate lectures were also presented in meat- and milk hygiene in
the Community Health 400 course at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Pretoria.
the Association of Teachers of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, based in the USA and membership of the editorial advisory board of Preventive Medicine, a scientific journal published in the Netherlands.
plete physical, mental and social well being of humans. By the application of these principles, the exit level outcomes were to achieve the upliftment and maintenance of community and animal health at all levels of development and sophistication,
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The Department of Veterinary Public Health started the period from 1993 to 2000 in disarray with the resignation of key personnel and had to do without a head until 1995. In spite of this there was a consolidation of thinking and a revi- sion of the course content and curriculum leading to a stabilization of the situation and the inclusion of epidemiology into the veterinary public health course at an undergraduate level. This helped to create awareness amongst all concerned about the multidisciplinary nature of the subject and the realization that the promotion of human health is dependant on the input from veterinary public health.
“The objective of the course has always been to gain an understanding into and application of veterinary skills, knowledge and resources (veterinary medical science) in contributing towards the complete physical, mental and social well being of humans..”
achieved through multidisciplinary and inter-disciplinary co-operation and co-ordi- nation between veterinarians and other pro- fessionals and paraprofessionals involved in public health issues.
Herd Health is a holistic approach to managing the health and production effi- ciency of production animal populations – dairy and beef cattle herds, beef feedlots, pig herds and sheep and goat flocks – and is essentially about the efficient produc- tion of food- and fibre-producing ani- mals. The primary objectives are to improve and maintain animal health, reproduction, growth and production at the most efficient level that will provide maximum economic returns to the farmer and, inter alia, to ensure the provision of a safe, sound and
The objective of the course has always
been to gain an understanding into and
application of veterinary skills, knowledge
(veterinary medical science) in contributing towards the com-
wholesome animal product to the consumer.
It seemed logical therefore to incorporate the Section of
and
resources
Veterinary Public Health
1908-2008
Years