Dr. Andrea Ellis (DVM) is a Board member with Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord U.S.
Dr. Andrea Ellis (DVM) is a veterinary epidemiologist who has worked in foodborne, waterborne and zoonotic diseases for the past 30 years in the Canadian public service and at WHO. In Canada, she worked in Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada managing the outbreak response unit in what is currently called the Centre for Foodborne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Dr. Ellis was seconded to WHO in Geneva from 2002-2004 to develop the epidemiology curriculum for the Global Foodborne Infections Network and worked on the response to SARS and avian influenza. She went back to WHO from 2009-2011 to lead the International Food Safety Authorities Network. Upon returning to Canada, she joined the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and spent 10 years as senior advisor to the Chief Veterinary Officer of Canada and WOAH Delegate for Canada before retiring from government in March 2023.
Dr. Ellis is currently an independent consultant and has been working with WOAH and WHO.
In recognition of World Zoonoses Day 2026, this article explores how community-centered One Health approaches can help detect, prevent, and respond to zoonotic diseases before they become global health emergencies.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories from the field shared by passionate VETS program volunteers. Meet Vincent Auclair, a Fundraising Advisor who spent four and a half months in Cambodia (January–May 2026) with our local partner, AVSF Cambodia, supporting proposal development, fundraising systems, and organizational capacity strengthening.
From Community Animal Health Workers to livestock keepers participating in the Passing-on-the-Gift model, communities across South Sudan are carrying forward the skills, knowledge, and systems strengthened through the 1-SHOP project. As the project concludes, we reflect on the lasting impacts of this community-led approach to resilience.
