THE IMPORTANCE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE IN PROMOTING ANIMAL, HUMAN, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

This study aimed to enhance students’ knowledge of the role of veterinarians and their importance to One Health. To this end, a literature review was conducted, and an educational activity was developed at a public school in the municipality of Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil, involving students with a mean age of 12 years. The activity consisted of a slide presentation, followed by the administration of a questionnaire before and after the lecture to assess the participants’ learning. The results demonstrated an increase in students’ knowledge. Recognition of the importance of veterinarians to animal, human, and environmental health increased from 21.7% to 76.7%. Regarding the concept of zoonoses, none of the participants demonstrated prior knowledge of the term; after the intervention, all 60 students answered correctly. Regarding understanding of the role of veterinarians, 45 students (75%) demonstrated prior understanding, increasing to 56 students (93.3%) after the lecture. These results indicate that the educational activity contributed to increasing students’ knowledge and to the recognition of Veterinary Medicine as an essential field for promoting One Health. It is concluded that health education is an important strategy for engaging young people with this topic and strengthening their understanding of the relevance of veterinary practice to society.