News - World Veterinary Association

14 Nov 2025

Registration Now Open for WVAC 2026, in Tokyo, Japan

We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the upcoming 41st Congress of the World Veterinary Association (WVAC 2026), to be held from 21–24 April 2026 at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo, Japan. Why Attend The Congress will bring together veterinary professionals, researchers, educators, students and industry experts from around the world under the theme of “One Health for a Better Tomorrow”. The Japanese Veterinary Medical Association (JVMA) and the WVA are working together to offer you a great combination of curated programme and abstract submission based presentations.

11 Nov 2025

WVA/MSD Veterinary Student Scholarship Program: Empowering the Next Generation of Global Veterinarians

The 2025 call for applications generated more than 1,100 submissions, demonstrating both the great need for such support and the passion of veterinary students eager to contribute to animal health, public health, and global welfare. Hear it from Dr. Anis Bouraba, a former scholarship recipient whose career demonstrates the transformative potential of this initiative. Dr. Bouraba received a WVA/MSD scholarship several years ago as a veterinary student. Today, he is not only a veterinarian but also serves on the WVA Council.

3 Nov 2025

WVA and AVTA Workshop in South Africa

The World Veterinary Association (WVA), in partnership with the Africa Veterinary Technicians Association (AVTA) and in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), successfully held a two-day workshop in Pretoria, South Africa, on 15–16 October 2025. The workshop formed part of the Veterinary Para-professionals (VPP) Project – Phase 2, which aims to strengthen collaboration between veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals (AHTs) in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa.

21 Oct 2025

WMA holds GA in Porto, Portugal, and welcomes new President

The World Medical Association (WMA) held its General Assembly in Porto, Portugal. Beyond members gathering, the new President was inaugurated and multiple policies were approved. WMA is a strengthened organisation more than ever – its visibility, influence, and ability to address even the most complex issues with professionalism and respect are an example to other global associations like the WVA. Beyond policy, the WMA continues to foster friendships and collaboration that transcend borders, continents, and even species, as seen in the recent MoU signed with the WVA.

17 Oct 2025

WVA-Led Study on Veterinary Education Quality Standards Now Published

We are pleased to announce the publication of a landmark study titled “Developing Quality Standards for Global Veterinary Education Program Assessments: Veterinary College Strategies to Meet Workforce Demands” in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education. The article is freely available online and offers valuable insights for veterinary educators, regulators, and professional associations worldwide. The publication was led by Dr Patricia Turner, past President of the World Veterinary Association (WVA), underlying WVA’s commitment to excellence in veterinary education globally.

15 Oct 2025

WVA Emphasises One Health Collaboration at World Health Summit 2025

The World Health Summit (WHS) 2025 gathered more participants than ever before, with an estimated 4,000 delegates meeting in Berlin and online under the theme “Taking Responsibility for Health in a Fragmenting World.” Over three days, global leaders, policymakers, and health experts explored how to strengthen the future of global health cooperation amid reduced aid, funding challenges, and growing geopolitical fragmentation.

10 Oct 2025

WVA participation in the United Against Rabies Forum 2025

The United Against Rabies (UAR) Forum 2025 Stakeholder Meeting, held from 7–9 October 2025 at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, gathered over 90 organizations from 41 countries to assess global progress toward the Zero by 30 target, ending human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. The UAR Forum is a multi-stakeholder platform supported by the WOAH, FAO and WHO that brings together governments, NGOs, academia, and the private sector to coordinate rabies elimination efforts through a One Health paradigm. The World Veterinary Association (WVA) is one of the official partners of the Forum, contributing to its technical and advocacy initiatives.

4 Oct 2025

World Animal Day 2025: Celebrating Champions of Compassion: Dr Gunatilake

Today, we feature Professor Dr. Mangala Gunatilake, a veterinarian and professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. A pioneer in laboratory animal ethics and welfare, Dr. Gunatilake has dedicated her career to integrating humane values into veterinary education, research, and practice.

1 Oct 2025

WVA 2025–2030: A Purpose-Driven Global Strategy for Veterinary Medicine

The World Veterinary Association (WVA) has launched its forward-looking 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, reaffirming its mission to strengthen the global veterinary profession and deliver tangible value to its members. As a federation of national, regional, and specialty veterinary associations, the WVA recognizes the increasing need for international alignment in veterinary medicine, particularly in areas such as disease control, food safety, animal welfare, medicines availability, and the ecological impact of health systems. These global challenges require coordinated global solutions.

28 Sep 2025

World Rabies Day 2025: Building Readiness, Ending Rabies

Today, on World Rabies Day, we come together under the theme “You, Me, Community.”, a very pertinent theme and campaign put together by our partners The Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC). Rabies is one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases, but also one of the most preventable. Every year, nearly 59,000 people die from rabies[1], most of them children in vulnerable communities. This suffering is unnecessary: rabies is 100% preventable through vaccination, education, and responsible animal care.