Held during WVAC2024 in Cape Town, South Africa
The 10th WVA Global One Health Summit, themed “Coordinated & sustainable actions to contain AMR“, held during the 39th WVAC in Cape Town, South Africa, gathered key stakeholders including the tripartite, OHLEP, industry representatives, farmers, and IVSA students to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and mobilize stakeholders. The Summit emphasized the essential role of the animal health sector in responding to animal diseases while recognizing concerns about non-veterinary medical use of antimicrobials.
Notable presentations were delivered by experts like Dr. Moetapele Letshwenyo, WOAH Regional Representative, highlighting the need for coordination in antimicrobial use, and Dr. Joseph Wamala, WHO Regional Representative, who outlined the urgency of addressing AMR.
Dr. Kofi Afakye presented FAO’s perspective on addressing AMR in the agri-food sector, while Dr. Olatunji Nasir, Chair of the Pharmaceutical Stewardship Working Group, presented on the Brooke and WVA Essential Veterinary Medicines List emphasized the pivotal role of veterinary medicines in tackling AMR. Dr. Wanda Markotter, Co-chair of OHHLEP, discussed the OH JPA’s alignment with other plans, stressing the importance of political commitment and practical guidance. Dr. Ellen van Nierop, WSAVA President, emphasized the need to reduce medication reliance through proper care and raised the question of whether incentives or enforcement measures would be more effective in driving changes. Finally, industry and farmer perspectives were shared by Dr. Marc Prikazsky, CEVA Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Theo de Jager, Former President of WFO, respectively.
Following the presentations, a panel discussion, bringing together experts to synthesize key insights and propose actionable steps to combat AMR. Emphasizing the One Health approach, participants stressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration across human, animal, and environmental health domains. Access to medicines and prevention strategies emerged as critical focal points, highlighting the need to ensure the availability of essential medications while promoting responsible usage.
Concrete actions were identified as imperative in addressing AMR effectively, including surveillance initiatives and capacity-building efforts. Moreover, education emerged as a cornerstone in raising awareness and fostering behavioral change to combat AMR. These discussions echoed the recommendations of the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform, endorsed by WVA, signifying a unified commitment to tackling the escalating threat of AMR comprehensively.
On the 18th of April the Animal Welfare Seminar and the Veterinary Education Roundatable took place.
The Animal Welfare Seminar covered a range of topics concerning welfare standards and international trade. It started looking into the specific issue of the donkey skin trade, where Dr. Joe Collins, Chief Veterinary Advisor at The Donkey Sanctuary, elucidated on the global threat posed by this industry. This discussion is closely tied to the recent release by the WVA of the factsheet on the donkey skin trade.with a presentation Secondly, by Dr. Moetapele Letshwenyo, the Regional Representative of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for Southern Africa, emphasizing the significance of international animal welfare standards in facilitating safe and ethical global trade.
The seminar was concluded with a panel discussion featuring Yuri Calvo, former president of IVSA, and Dr. Patricia Turner, past president of the WVA, alonside the session speakers, and moderated by Dr. Enid Stiles, Chair of the WVA Animal Welfare Working Group., the panel explored the challenges and opportunities regarding animal welfare standards in international trade. The conclusions underscored the need for sustained and collaborative efforts to ensure a world where the welfare of animals is respected, promoted, and advanced alongside broader societal goals.
The Veterinary Education Seminar, Chaired by Dr James Ouma convened the Round Table on Concrete Actions to Contain AMR in Veterinary Education convened experts like Andrew Maccabe, CEO of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges; Dietmar Holm, Professor at the University of Pretoria and President of the African Association of Veterinary Education Establishments (2A2E-V); Pierre Lekeux, Director of the European System of Evaluation of Veterinary Training (ESEVT) of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education, and Vanda Dučić, IVSA President. They discussed challenges and educational strategies to address AMR in veterinary education. Both events highlighted the importance of education, collaboration, and concrete actions to combat AMR effectively across human, animal, and environmental health domains. These discussions align with the recommendations of the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform, endorsed by WVA, indicating a unified commitment to addressing the escalating threat of AMR.
