Jennings Gerald B
Midwest Research Institute, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.
J Vet Med Educ. 2006 Fall;33(3):419-21. doi: 10.3138/jvme.33.3.419.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) works within the overall purpose of US foreign assistance to improve the lives of the citizens of the developing world. Through partnerships with other agencies, organizations, and governments, and using its field offices around the world, USAID strives to develop local capacity and thus build sustainable development. Two specific USAID programs pertinent to veterinary medicine are global health and agriculture. In the area of global health, veterinarians can aid USAID's work to improve the quality, availability, and use of essential health services that specifically target maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, family planning and reproductive health, infectious diseases, environmental health, nutrition, and other life-saving areas. The challenge of making the agricultural sector in a developing country more productive is a critical one for USAID and a clear area for input from the veterinary profession. Animal agriculture is the largest single sector of agricultural economies in most developing countries, and livestock remains a critical component of poverty alleviation. There are educational requirements that benefit anyone working at USAID and can be met prior to admittance to a DVM program, as part of a DVM curriculum, or in post-graduate training/employment, such as proficiency in a foreign language; environmental sciences background; familiarity with accounting and management techniques; expertise in foreign animal diseases, zoonotic diseases, epidemiology, food safety, and nutrition, as well as the application to human health of those areas; an advanced degree such as an MPH; and management experience. Appropriately trained veterinarians can make enormous contributions to USAID's global efforts to improve the health and agriculture sectors of developing nations.
美国国际开发署（USAID）在美国对外援助的总体目标框架内开展工作，致力于改善发展中国家公民的生活。通过与其他机构、组织及政府建立伙伴关系，并利用其遍布全球的外地办事处，美国国际开发署努力发展当地能力，从而推动可持续发展。美国国际开发署与兽医学相关的两项具体计划是全球健康和农业。在全球健康领域，兽医能够协助美国国际开发署开展工作，以提高基本卫生服务的质量、可及性和利用率，这些服务专门针对孕产妇和儿童健康、艾滋病毒/艾滋病、计划生育和生殖健康、传染病、环境卫生、营养以及其他拯救生命的领域。提高发展中国家农业部门的生产力这一挑战，对美国国际开发署而言至关重要，也是兽医专业能够提供明确投入的一个领域。在大多数发展中国家，畜牧业是农业经济中最大的单一部门，牲畜仍然是减贫的关键组成部分。对于在美国国际开发署工作的任何人都有一些教育要求，这些要求可以在进入兽医学博士课程之前、作为兽医学博士课程的一部分，或者在研究生培训/就业期间满足，例如精通一门外语；具备环境科学背景；熟悉会计和管理技术；掌握外来动物疾病、人畜共患病、流行病学、食品安全和营养方面的专业知识，以及这些领域在人类健康方面的应用；拥有公共卫生硕士等高级学位；以及具备管理经验。经过适当培训的兽医能够为美国国际开发署改善发展中国家卫生和农业部门的全球努力做出巨大贡献。
