AVMA Applauds U.S. House for Passing Veterinary Services Investment Act, Looks to Senate
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) applauds the U.S. House for passing the Veterinary Services Investment Act this week.
The legislation authorizes the secretary of agriculture to award competitive grants to develop, implement and sustain veterinary services in communities all across the country where they are most needed. The bill now goes to the Senate.
"We are excited and grateful our representatives passed this bill. It is obvious our representatives in Washington, D.C., have begun to understand the critical role of large-animal, mixed animal, and public health veterinarians play in protecting livestock and ultimately consumers in the United States," says Dr. Larry Kornegay, president of the AVMA. "The Veterinary Services Investment Act will offer grants to draw more veterinarians to shortage areas by helping them establish or expand practices with new equipment and technology. We need these veterinarians to coordinate veterinary services and enhance food safety and food protection systems."
Today in America, 1,300 counties have no veterinarians to treat 25,000 livestock, and the problem is expected to get worse. This shortage not only affects the well-being of farmers and livestock but can have negative public health consequences. The public relies on veterinarians to safeguard the food supply and monitor the threat of zoonotic diseases, (diseases transmitted between animals and people), such as avian influenza (bird flu). Over the last 25 years, 75 percent of all the emerging diseases in people were zoonotic.
"Large-animal veterinarians, in particular, are integral to small, rural communities. It is absolutely necessary for the farmers, ranchers and those who care for animals of all shapes and sizes to have access to qualified local veterinary clinics. Unfortunately, too many rural communities don't have this necessary resource. The Veterinary Services Investment Act will make a difference," says Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), sponsor of the bill.
The legislation provides grants to relocate or recruit veterinarians and veterinary technicians into shortage areas, support veterinary students seeking training in food safety or food-supply veterinary medicine, and support continuing education courses to help strengthen veterinary service and enhance food safety, among other programs.
For more information about this legislation and the food-supply veterinary shortage, visit www.avma.org.
The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. More than 80,000 member veterinarians worldwide are engaged in a wide variety of professional activities.
SOURCE American Veterinary Medical Association
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