Speaker Report – Katrina McNamara
This week’s speaker gave us a fascinating, enlightening and comprehensive introduction to the Humanimal Trust. It’s a term very few of us had heard before, but Katrina McNamara’s illustrated zoom presentation offered us a clear picture of the nature, work and aims of the Trust.
In 2014 Professor Neil Fitzpatrick formed the Trust with headquarters in Godalming. Ms McNamara, one of the trusts volunteer speakers, explained that the trust believes that the best health care practice offers equal benefits to humans and animals. It regards the development of medicines for humans and animals not as two separate pursuits but promotes the concept of a “One Medicine” approach.
Many doctors, vets, researchers and scientists are already using the Trust as a hub for the development of ideas that were first mooted in the 18th Century – that there is no clear dividing line between human and animal medicine. Ms McNamara’s talk was an example of one aspect of the Trust’s work – to raise awareness for vets, doctors and the public at large – to ask us to help raise public awareness and look forward to “A World of One Medicine”. We were reminded that we have all become aware of the transmission of certain diseases from animals to humans and vice-versa (Covid-19, Avian and Swine ‘Flu, Rabies). She asked us to help bring forward to a time when “One Medicine” would be widely recognised through new national health care policies and approaches as a result of the shared thinking and work of those affiliated to the Trust across the world.
The first “One Medicine Day” will be held on May 6th this year. For further information and to find ways of supporting the Trust Ms McNamara invited us to visit the website: 
https://www.humanimaltrust.org.uk/
Fred Riches