Animal Health Week (AHW) is an annual national public awareness campaign organized by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and hosted by veterinarians across Canada. Each year, through AHW, the veterinary community draws attention to an important health-related message.
From October 2–8, 2022, the CVMA will celebrate our annual Animal Health Week by raising awareness about Habitat Protection and Pandemic Prevention – showcasing how animals, habitats, and human health are interdependent in creating healthy ecosystems which helps protect biosecurity.
Key messages include:
- Protecting the habitats of animals helps protect shared ecosystems and, in turn, helps safeguard human health.
- Respecting animals in their natural environments helps deter the spread of disease to other animal species and humans.
- Importation of exotic animals, and even improper movement of domestic animals, can introduce disease to local animals and people.
- Encroaching upon wildlife habitats or entering commercial/farmed operations without following proper protocols can result in biosecurity breaches which can lead to dangerous outcomes for animals and people.
- Protecting the environments of wildlife and all animals in your care is paramount in pandemic prevention.
- Monitoring disease in wildlife, such as migrating birds, bats, and feral animals like pigs and dogs, can play an important role in future pandemic prevention.
Visit the Animal Health Week page on our website to download this year’s poster, as well as our shareable social media posts and video.
