By Biola Azeez
Copyright tribuneonlineng
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, on Monday, inducted 32 new veterinary doctors at its seventh induction/oath-taking ceremony.
Speaking as the keynote speaker at the event, a former vice president of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Dr. Bala Mohammed, told both the graduands and audience at the event that solutions to contemporary health challenges demand interdisciplinary cooperation.
“Solutions to today’s greatest health challenges cannot be designed in isolation—they demand cooperation across veterinary medicine, human medicine, environmental sciences, and public policy,” he said.
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Mohammed, a veterinary surgeon, also said that “the health of humans, animals, and the environment can no longer be treated as separate concerns.
“They are intricately linked, forming the foundation of the one health approach, a global strategy that requires collaboration across disciplines to achieve optimal health outcomes for all”.
He also said that, “despite successes, veterinary services remain underfunded, under-recognized, and under-integrated into national health frameworks.
“Many countries, including ours, face surveillance blind spots, weak laboratory capacity, and governance silos.
“These gaps allow diseases to simmer unnoticed until they explode into public crises, with devastating health and economic consequences.
“To truly protect one world, we must invest in veterinary infrastructure and laboratories, foster collaboration among doctors, veterinarians, ecologists, and policymakers to strengthen education, funding, and data systems that empower community-centered prevention strategies. “Veterinarians must be recognized not only as responders but as guardians of planetary health”.
Earlier, Dean of the Faculty Professor Saliu Ameen, said that the induction marked the formal licensing of these young doctors as veterinary professionals.
Professor Ameen added, “this ceremony is not merely a ritual; it is a defining moment. It signifies the transition of our graduands from students of veterinary medicine to full members of a noble and globally relevant profession”.