Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Science, politics and animal health policy: epidemiology in action.
- Journal:
- Preventive veterinary medicine
- Year:
- 2003
- Authors:
- Hueston, W D
- Affiliation:
- Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine · United States
Plain-English summary
This research discusses how decisions about animal health policies are often influenced by both science and politics. While there is a strong push for these decisions to be based on scientific evidence, many scientists avoid getting involved in policy-making because they don't like the political side of things. Epidemiologists, who study how diseases spread, are well-suited to help bridge this gap by using their skills to analyze complex issues that include not just health but also economic and cultural factors. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding how policies are made and suggests that training for epidemiologists should include communication skills and teamwork experiences. Overall, the research highlights the need for better collaboration between science and policy to improve animal health outcomes.
Abstract
Public policy decisions underlie society's response to current animal health issues ranging from emerging diseases and public health threats to food safety concerns and sustainable animal agriculture strategies. Despite strong calls for "science-based" decisions, animal health policy most commonly emerges at the interface of science and politics. Too often scientists' disdain for politics limits their involvement in formulating policy. By contrast, epidemiologists are ideally qualified to bring scientific skills to complex policy issues through analytical, macro-epidemiological approaches that consider the economic, legal, and cultural context of policy issues as well as the biological and medical aspects. Risk analysis provides a systematic approach to evaluating animal health issues and comparing policy options. Capturing these opportunities for applied epidemiology requires an understanding of the policy-making process as well as the basic principles of epidemiology. Furthermore, epidemiology training programs must incorporate communications skill building and experiential learning opportunities in a team environment.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12900145/