Charmaine Brett is the Executive Director of Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
Charmaine Brett joined VWB/VSF in June, 2021 as Executive Director. Charmaine brings more than twenty years of expertise and experience in international humanitarian relief and development to her new role as Executive Director, after having lived for more than 10 years in Africa, Asia, Haiti, and the Middle East. During this time, she has worked with leading humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Medical Emergency Relief International, and Habitat for Humanity, developing sustainable programming and responding to numerous natural and man-made emergencies.
Prior to accepting the role of Executive Director, Charmaine spent approximately seven years as Program Officer for the Disaster Relief and Recovery domain at the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. Immediately prior to joining the Philanthropies, Charmaine worked as Head of Programs with Action Against Hunger, where she was responsible for the strategic program leadership and overall management in Pakistan, Cambodia, and Nigeria. She also holds an honour's degree in international development studies from Trent University in Canada, and she has worked as an educator in South Korea and Taiwan.
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.
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.
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.
