Veterinary public health

Camel being injected by technician in protective clothing

If you're interested in veterinary public health (VPH), find out about the array of roles available in this varied career area, understand the qualifications needed, how to gain work experience and where to look for job vacancies.

Essentially, we have all the information you need about VPH in one place with links to specialist websites to move your career forward.

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What is veterinary public health (VPH)?

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) officially defines veterinary public health (VPH)

It is a component of public health that focuses on the application of veterinary science and that includes all actions directly or indirectly linked with animals, their products and by-products, so long as they contribute to the protection and improvement of the physical, mental and social wellbeing of humans.

Veterinary science has a rich history of contributions to public health, especially with regard to the provision of safe and adequate food, the prevention, control and eradication of zoonoses, the improvement of animal welfare and contributing to biomedical research.

Public health

Public health in general is the science and art of, preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society. All the activities of the veterinary profession that impact on human health and also the impact of humans on animal health and welfare are just as relevant within the public health sphere.

Veterinary public health (VPH)

Veterinary public health is an integrated, multidisciplinary, cross-species sector with horizontal and vertical integration of knowledge which encompasses the food safety, zoonoses, animal welfare, comparative medicine, epidemiology and environmental hygiene comprising a ‘One Health’ concept.

VPH requires individuals to draw on knowledge from various areas within veterinary medicine such as veterinary anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pathology, parasitology and medicine. This means that no matter what your particular area of interest is, there are VPH roles and opportunities that you could potentially pursue.

What skills, interests and qualities do I need to work in VPH?

The interests, skills and qualities needed to work in VPH will vary depending on the area of work that you wish to pursue. Different roles require different competencies for example clinical, research, organisational or analytical skills.

VPH is an applied subject and if your interest lies in the application of knowledge gained through the basic courses in veterinary medicine for the ultimate goal of improving human health through food safety, disease control and animal welfare then VPH might be a career path worth researching further.

Being a strong communicator and having the flexibility to work in a range of environments including farms and abattoirs and with a range of people from different backgrounds and different nationalities will be important in this industry.

If you are interested in working within a global context and collaborating on projects or initiatives within an international environment, you are likely to enjoy the VPH career path.

A one world is a reality, and no country is isolated as wildlife, livestock, and diseases do not respect boundaries and therefore countries of the world are inter-dependent. What happens in one country has impacts far beyond its borders, that is ‘a butterfly effect’. If your interest in veterinary public health is at a local, regional, national or global level, there are opportunities available in this career area.

What roles are available? Includes an interview with a field vet from the APHA

Careers in VPH can be categorised into three main job categories:

Regulatory roles, including inspection and auditing, risk management and outbreak investigation, and policy making
Commercial and food business operator (FBO) roles, including risk managers, animal welfare, and quality assurance and food technology
Academia, science and research roles, including Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) and risk mitigation, research and development (R&D) of new tests and teaching jobs. For more information go to our pages on working in research and academia.

The above description of roles is taken from a drawing by Dr. Sudhakar Bhandare as per discussion from the European Veterinary Food Safety Teachers Meeting, Uppsala, June 2016

There are a range of RCVS-registered and non-registered pathways available within VPH. Roles include:

Official veterinarians (OV) carry out duties including TB testing, export certification, surveillance for other animal diseases and the Pet Travel Scheme. For more information go to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) website and the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe.
Working in policy and auditing in the Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK
Technical manager or auditor in a food processing plant
Outside the meat industry, government VPH roles include jobs to improve animal welfare and on disease surveillance. Explore more about working in government.
Veterinary public health research roles include opportunities in food safety research such as pathogen control, tackling antibiotic resistance through the food chain and increasing the shelf life of foods. Also basic knowledge of VPH as a veterinary graduate is useful in animal welfare and disease diagnostics research.

Heike Luhmann, Field Vet at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)

Heike talks about:

her passion for the role
the knowledge and skills needed
the One Health concept within government work
her approach to the One Health concept in practice

What further training or qualifications do I require?

There are many opportunities to gain further qualifications, training or certification but the type of professional development will vary depending on your job role and is often provided through your employer.

Official veterinarian (OV)

In order to work as an official veterinarian (OV) there are additional training requirements. You would need to complete the appropriate Official Controls Qualifications (Veterinary) (OCQ(V) training courses and undertake revalidation every four years. These are week-long courses in Bristol or Glasgow provided by the contracting company employing you.

Lead auditor

To work as a lead auditor further training is usually required from various providers and accredited by International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA), London. There are also a number of masters programmes if you’d like to specialise further. With a masters and PhD in VPH, it is easier to navigate the highly specialised research career options and opportunities in academia.

Further study

There are also a number of masters programmes if you’d like to specialise further. With a masters and PhD in VPH, it is easier to navigate the highly specialised research career options and opportunities in academia. If you are considering continuing your studies, find out more on our pages about further study.

Global residency programmes

You could also decide to specialise in the field and embark on a specialist accreditation through one of the many global residency programmes.

Continuous professional development (CPD)

There are many personal development courses available to support development in VPH. Take a look at:

Career progression opportunities within veterinary public health are dependent on the organisation you are associated with whether it is a private organisation, or a government agency.

Can I work abroad?

All the roles mentioned previously in government agencies, food safety and research are available to explore in other countries especially in North America where the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) as well as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) directly employs veterinarians for VPH activities. This is unlike in the UK where such roles are employed via contractors.

The following organisations give preference to the candidates with strong knowledge of VPH for their job roles:

There are similar disease control agencies in Australia, New Zealand and throughout the world including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

International opportunities are also available in international organisations such as:

VPH career opportunities are available as army vets in various countries including US military and the Indian Army.

The role of a veterinarian as a technical manager in the food safety divisions of various multinational food companies in also an option when considering working abroad.

You may find our working abroad pages helpful and you will need to check the visa requirements for any positions overseas.

How can I gain work experience?

The university offers a VPH elective which accounts for two weeks EMS in year five for a maximum of six students once a year. Students who are interested in the VPH elective need to select this elective in year three together with the rest of their rotations options.

The Animal & Plant Health Agency offers a range of EMS placements within:

field operations
laboratories
Specialist Service Centres
the Border Inspection Post at Heathrow
the Animal Science Unit at Weybridge
veterinary science advice teams working with policy makers

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) also has a useful article on using EMS to discover how VPH makes a difference.

Depending on your area of interest, you can also contact companies directly to request work experience or work shadowing. The Government Veterinary Surgeons has also produced a booklet on getting experience in the food sector.