Veterinarians Advocate for Integration in Spain's National Health System to Bolster Public Health
The Organización Colegial Veterinaria urges Spain's health authorities to integrate veterinary specialists into public health policies, emphasizing their key role in managing zoonoses, antibiotic resistance, and climate-related diseases.
- • Veterinarians play a crucial but often overlooked role in public health through preventive measures.
- • The OCV advocates for the inclusion of veterinary specialists in the National Health System's Public Health specialty.
- • Restrictions on veterinary prescription freedom hinder treatment of zoonoses and may worsen antibiotic resistance.
- • Climate change is increasing vector-borne diseases in humans, requiring enhanced surveillance and resources.
Key details
On October 13, 2025, Gonzalo Moreno del Val, president of the Organización Colegial Veterinaria (OCV), met with Javier Padilla, Spain's Secretary of State for Health, to emphasize the significant yet often unrecognized role veterinarians play in public health. Moreno highlighted the critical contributions veterinarians make through preventive measures addressing zoonoses and emerging health challenges like vector-borne diseases, which have surged due to climate change.
During the meeting, the OCV pressed for effective integration of veterinary specialists into the National Health System, particularly within the specialty of Public Health. Moreno pointed out that restrictions on veterinary prescription freedom impede appropriate treatment of zoonoses and may exacerbate antibiotic resistance, stressing the need for reforms recognizing veterinary medicine's role beyond zoonotic diseases to include impacts on mental and cardiovascular health.
The meeting was described as constructive, with Padilla receptive to proposals for incorporating veterinary specialties into health policy frameworks. The OCV also called for veterinary involvement in disaster response and food safety and proposed a mental health program tailored for veterinarians. Criticism was voiced against a recent health threat project that neglected animal health considerations, underscoring the importance of a One Health approach linking human, animal, and environmental health.
This engagement signals growing acknowledgment at the governmental level of veterinarians’ indispensable contributions to public health in Spain, aiming to enhance collaborative measures and policy reforms within the National Health System.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.