World celebrates Veterinary Day (Features)

THIS year’s World Veterinary Day, an initiative of the World Veterinary Association (WVA), will be celebrated on April 20, on the theme: “Veterinarians and Livestock Farmers: a winning partnership”. The occasion, according to the President of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), Dr Walter Winding, will be used to highlight the need for an integrated approach to veterinary and human medicine.
He also noted that veterinarians played a pivotal role between animals, their owners and society and went on to add that that role was not confined to animal health, but also animal welfare and public health, including food safety.
World Veterinary Day, which is observed on the last Saturday of April each year is an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of veterinarians to society. The day was instigated by the World Veterinary Association in 2000 to be celebrated annually.
Information provided by the World Veterinary Association (WVA) on the commemoration of the day indicate that the theme was chosen to send a clear message to the world as to how veterinarians collaborate with livestock farmers to care for animals alongside other responsibilities.
According to the association, today more than ever, outbreaks of some animal diseases, particularly those harmful to humans was capable of causing considerable economic and social upheaval which sends a wave of panic at national, regional or global level.
It pointed out that recent crises such as the outbreak of bird flu, had shown how a serious health event from the animal kingdom can have a global impact on the rural economy and consumers as well . An early warning associated with a rapid response is however considered the key to fight contagious animal diseases through the integration of all relevant stakeholders in the prevention and disease control mechanisms. This is the main reason why this year’s theme: “Veterinarians and Livestock Farmers: a winning partnership” is relevant.
According to the WVA, veterinarians played a key role in all countries as guarantors of animal health as well as public health. But the effectiveness of their action was strongly linked to and dependent on their relationship with farmers.
This is so because livestock farmers all around the world are the first sentinels of animal disease events and a rapid response in the fight against animal diseases cannot leave aside their crucial role.
Their role in the fight against animal health is very significant since they are also the first to suffer from animal diseases through important losses in their livelihood.
Experience has shown the importance of organisational and economic factors by enabling the world’s 600 million livestock farmers to fulfil their role in the chain of protection. Therefore, improvement of their animal health training through the support of veterinarians must be considered central to the risk anticipation and risk mutualisation strategies that the international community will increasingly have to initiate.
In an article written by Alfred Hudges in the Ghana Veterinary Medical Association’s bi-annual newsletter which appeared in June 2007, it said the association, which was the local chapter of World Veterinary Association (WVA), had contributed in no small way to all the important issues confronting the veterinary profession and public health in Ghana.
It pointed out that the veterinarian profession was so diverse to the extent that it took care of pets, livestock and poultry as well as sporting and laboratory animals and protected humans against diseases which were carried by animals.
Veterinarians also diagnose medical problems, dress wounds, set broken bones, perform surgeries, prescribe and administer medicines and vaccinate animals against diseases. They also advise owners on the care and breeding of animals.
In Ghana, most veterinary doctors are employed by the government working in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). Apart from those in the public sector there are others who are in private general practice where they treat all kinds of animals such as dogs, cats, birds, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs and monkeys, among others.
It is important to note that to achieve the objective of getting the animals cared for, farmers should be equipped to enable them play an important role ; the improvement of their animal health training through the support of veterinarians must be considered central to the risk anticipation and risk mutualisation strategies that the international community will increasingly have to initiate.
As part of the annual commemoration, the WVA and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in 2008, agreed on the creation of the World Veterinary Day Award which aimed at rewarding the most successful celebration of the veterinary profession by national veterinary associations, alone, or in cooperation with any other selected veterinary bodies.
The 2009 Award will be delivered at the 77th OIE General Assembly to be held in Paris, France from May 24 to 29 2009 and a prize of US$ 1,000 will be donated to the winner. The Kenya Veterinary Association won the $1,000 award in 2008.
The 2009 Award will reward the veterinary association who will best publicise the theme by involving the livestock farmers in the organisation of events along with all other
stakeholders such as the media and the general public.
Events for the celebration could be public events organised with the support of the media such as open days, competitions or any event that could create attention and get messages out to a large number of people in an interesting, entertaining and stimulating.
The deadline for national associations to apply for the award is May 1.
In Ghana the occasion would be observed by members of the Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) with a series of activities to educate the public on the role and importance of veterinary services to the Ghanaian society.
Some of the activities lined up to mark the event are media launch of the day on April 20, in Accra, radio discussions on the topic: “Anthrax- A Public Health Menace; a television panel discussion on: “Public Health Significance of Tuberculosis in Animals” as well as an outreach programme and a public lecture on various topics in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.