Centre for Veterinary Disaster Medicine
Good animal health and welfare are important in peacetime as well as in times of crisis and war. This applies to food-producing animals, service animals (armed forces, customs and police) and assistance dogs. Pets are also important for people's well-being and willingness to defend their country.
A new centre for crisis preparedness
Disasters can harm animals through, for example, wildfires, radioactivity, explosions and floods. The damage can be acute or have long-term health effects, and the number of animals affected varies depending on geography and the nature of the event.
Incidents involving large numbers of injured animals are complex and pose a range of challenges. In these situations, expertise in disaster medicine for animals is crucial to reducing suffering, ensuring animal welfare, contributing to food supply and supporting other important societal functions. In human medicine, there are currently seven different Swedish centres of expertise for disaster medicine, which have been selected by the National Board of Health and Welfare. However, there is no equivalent in veterinary medicine.
As part of a three-year project funded by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, we plan to establish a Centre for Veterinary Disaster Medicine (CVK). The centre will bring together expertise to safeguard animal health, animal welfare and food safety in times of crisis and high alert.
Examples include climate-related disasters, accidents involving the spread of chemical, biological or radio nuclear agents, or other events that require mass casualty management or large-scale evacuation of animals. The centre will also assist with training and exercise activities. Responsibility for the future CVK will probably be shared between the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Several other authorities and organisations are participating in the project.
By supporting animal healthcare and other initiatives that are important to society and total defence, the project contribute to increased capacity to produce animal-based food while maintaining high animal welfare standards and securing access to service animals in peacetime crises, during high alert situations and, ultimately, in wartime. Furthermore, CVK also strengthens the ability to manage sports and companion animals in crises in terms of both animal health and animal welfare, which contributes to people's willingness and ability to cope with war and crisis situations.
Participating organisations
SVA, SLU, Swedish Board of Agriculture, Swedish Food Agency, District Veterinarians, Swedish Armed Forces, Swedish Blue Star ((a voluntary defence organisation), National Board of Health and Welfare, and Centre for Disaster Medicine at the University of Gothenburg.