Our Approach | Veterinarians Without Borders
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Our Approach

Rice field in Vietnam.

One health for everyone, everywhere. 

Close up of a woman wearing a colourful skirt and shirt holding hay with a chicken in the background.

Ecohealth & One Health 

From the beginning, Veterinarians Without Borders has kept an eye on the Big Picture when designing and implementing projects around the world. Our approach is best defined by the related concepts of Ecohealth and One Health, which suggest that people and animals can only be healthy if the environment they live in is healthy.

This means clean air and water, soil healthy enough to support plants, and animals - both wild and domestic - that are healthy and available as sources of food that will not transmit disease to humans. 

Our approach ensures that people and communities are involved in the decisions that affect their health and environment. Our focus on animals is just part of our care for the delicate balance of health that includes soil, air, water, topography, population density, markets, culture, and tradition.

Our Approach: How do we do it?

A key to the approach is collaboration - across disciplines, professions, and groups - that builds holistic solutions with a lens of inter-connectedness. One Health has its roots in veterinary medicine but has come to involve human health practitioners, social scientists, environmental scientists, and others. 

Focused On Health

We focus on animal health care as integrally tied to human and ecosystem health. By treating all three, we create sustainable solutions for the planet.

High Local Impact

Our work happens on the ground in every program country: in community meetings, training local people on animal health care, delivering vaccinations, helping to form co-ops, training women, children and families in food production, nutrition, husbandry and disease control.

Repeatable & Sustainable

Our projects are built to be repeatable and to promote sustainability over the long term so that communities can grow independent and strong and act as models for others.

Built On Respect

We respect people, culture, local knowledge, human rights, laws and customs, animal welfare, and the environment.

Community Guided

We are guided by the communities we work with and we are committed to participatory and inclusive approaches to development. Sustainable solutions are most often created when locally identified and owned.

Committed To Learning

We are committed to sharing our expertise and knowledge and continuously learning from our partners.

Your Support Means Everything

Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord couldn't do the work we do without your support. Whether it's a financial donation or a donation of your time, by improving the health of animals you will be working to improve the health and quality of life for people throughout the world.

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Stories From Around The World

More Than Medicine: How Veterinarians Strengthen Communities and Ecosystems

More Than Medicine: How Veterinarians Strengthen Communities and Ecosystems

Posted Apr 25th, 2025

This article explores the diverse and often underrecognized roles of veterinarians within a One Health framework, highlighting how their work in animal health, food safety, wildlife conservation, and climate adaptation strengthens communities, safeguards ecosystems, and supports global health resilience.

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Veterinarians on the Frontlines: How Animal Immunization Safeguards Public Health and Livelihoods

Veterinarians on the Frontlines: How Animal Immunization Safeguards Public Health and Livelihoods

Posted Apr 24th, 2025

This article examines the vital role of veterinarians in immunization and disease prevention, highlighting how VWB’s One Health approach — through vaccination campaigns, CAHW training, and real-time disease surveillance — protects public health, supports farmer livelihoods, and strengthens animal health systems in vulnerable communities.

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Dog Bite Prevention Week: Protecting people, animals, and communities in the far North

Dog Bite Prevention Week: Protecting people, animals, and communities in the far North

Posted Apr 14th, 2025

In remote areas, like the far North, dog bites are more prevalent. This Dog Bite Prevention Week, we're raising awareness about how reading dog body language and improving access to veterinary care can reduce bites—and prevent the spread of diseases like rabies.

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  • I have seen first-hand the benefits of capacity building and gender empowerment for smallholder livestock farmers, and stakeholders in the livestock sector.
    - Dr. Shauna Richards

Become A Part Of The Big Picture

By supporting Veterinarians Without Borders through donations or volunteering, you become part of the Big Picture solution. 

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