Veterinary Disaster Response at the National Level
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services? (DHHS) mission is to protect the health of all Americans; in particular those who are not able to help themselves. At question is how animals fit into this mission. The attachment people feel toward their pets - referred to as the human-animal bond - is real, and separation can affect the well-being of both. Where DHHS could play a prominent role in supporting this bond is in the following areas: educating the public, healthcare providers, and disaster responders as to the importance of animals to human health; providing strategic level veterinary clinical and public health guidance by embedding U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) veterinarians on key federal teams; restructuring the National Veterinary Response Teams (NVRTs) by reestablishing a public/private partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Association; and establishing a working group to plan how to accomplish these recommendations and improve federal agency interaction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 10, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA510801
Entities
People
- Kathleen Miller
Organizations
- United States Department of Health and Human Services