Welcome to the homepage of the World Veterinary Association ("WVA").

The WVA is a federation of over 80 national veterinary medical associations throughout the World. We also have regional, specialist, and observer veterinary association members. The WVA is the internationally recognized representative of global veterinary medicine. It was founded in 1863 in Hamburg, Germany, but was completely reorganized in 1997. The WVA has collaborative agreements with: the OIE, FAO and WHO.

The three main issues of WVA are, in the One World-One health concept, animal health, animal welfare and public health. The One world-One health concept is the unified approach between veterinary and human mediecine to improve global health for people and animals. The globalisation of trade of animals and products of animal origin and the free movement of people increase the importance of monitoring and preventing animal diseases and to protect people of emerging diseases like zoonoses. Healthy animals = healthy people is the motto. In this relation is animal welfare also very important for animal welfare is indivisible with animal health and this is strong related to public health.

Veterinarians in all disciplines play the main role in these issues between animals, animal owners and society. The responsibility in this of our profession requires a high standard of knowledge and skills. So veterinary education is the fourth main issue. WVA has adopted the minimum requirements of veterinary education for the schools to get new graduates with the right Day One Competence and the veterinary profession has to maintain the high standard by well developed Life Long Learning programmes.

An important annually activity of the WVA is World veterinary Day [WVD] celebrated on the last Saturday of april. The WVD objective is to publicize that veterinary medicine encompasses a majestic array of experts that contribute widely throughout the world. Also are we involved in World Rabies Day on 28th of September every year.

Important is the World Veterinary Congress [WVC] every three years. The next WVC will be in 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 3013 WVA will celebrate her 150th anniversary with a WVC in Prague, Czech Republic.

For one profession, one vision and one voice,
Tjeerd Jorna President.