Resilience to animal disease outbreaks: understanding the profession's role.

Veterinary professionals must engage in proactive policy and preparedness planning to strengthen resilience against future animal disease outbreaks.

This article reports on discussions held at the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Council meeting on 22 July, where two significant topics were addressed: reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act and strategies for building resilience against future animal disease outbreaks. The piece highlights the veterinary profession's critical role in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from animal disease emergencies. BVA Council's deliberations signal a growing recognition within the profession that proactive planning and structural reforms are essential to safeguarding animal health, public health, and food security. The reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act represents a broader effort to modernize the regulatory framework governing veterinary practice in the UK, potentially expanding the profession's capacity to respond effectively during crisis situations. Resilience planning for disease outbreaks encompasses surveillance systems, rapid response protocols, inter-agency collaboration, and workforce preparedness. The veterinary profession is positioned as a central pillar in national biosecurity and emergency response frameworks. This report underscores the importance of policy-level engagement by veterinary bodies to ensure that legislative and organizational infrastructure supports an agile and effective response to emerging and re-emerging animal disease threats, which carry significant implications for livestock industries, wildlife populations, and zoonotic disease risks to human populations.

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