The World Veterinary Day 2023 Award ceremony was held on the 23rd of March in Kathmandu, Nepal. This time, the award went to the Nepal Veterinary Association for its contribution to promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in the Veterinary Profession. The president of the WVA, Dr Rafael Laguens, handed over to the president of the NVA, Dr Ram Krishna Khatiwada, the check for 5000 dollars of the prize, with the
presence, as a guest of honour, of the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ms Jwala Kumari Sah, and Dr Serene Amatya, Vice coordinator of Right to Protein run, and NVA member.
The event was organised in conjunction with the third edition of the ‘Right to Protein’ race, an NVA initiative to raise awareness of the importance of adequate protein consumption for all human beings. Seven thousand people registered in various categories to participate in the competition, which included an open half marathon, men’s 10 km, women’s 5 km, boys’ 5 km, girls’ 3 km, and wheelchair races. All work
and management involved in this event is done on a volunteer basis by veterinarians who are members of the NVA.
After careful consideration, the Council of the WVA decided to award NVA the World Veterinary Day Award for his work organizing multiple activities, such as panel discussions, lectures, drama performances, sports activities, and numerous street rallies, to reach all within the profession and raise awareness about the issue of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to society at large. They managed to involve their
leading national veterinarians and several regional and national policymakers in the debate.
During his visit to Nepal, the president of the WVA had the opportunity to see on the ground the steps taken by Nepalese veterinarians to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The president also met with the leaders of the Nepal Veterinary Association, the Veterinary Council, the Directorate of Livestock and Fisheries Development of Gandaki Province, and many veterinarians and other health professionals. All these
contacts have allowed Dr Laguens to learn about the level of development of the country’s veterinary structures and the achievements, challenges and needs of veterinary medicine in Nepal.
