World Veterinary Day

The World Organisation for Animal Health, OIE, is an intergovernmental organisation which supports, coordinates, and promotes animal disease control. Its headquarters are situated in Paris and the organisation strive towards controlling and preventing epizootic diseases. Likewise, the OIE works towards scientific information, transparency, sanitary and food safety, animal welfare, international solidarity, and promoting the Veterinary Services.

It has over 182 member states and it is recognized as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organization. The OIE is institutionally and financially independent and autonomous. Its activities are governed by its own constitutional texts and under the authority of a Committee consisting of delegates of the contracting Governments.

The History of OIE

There was a huge need for a body which will fight animal diseases on a global level. So, in 1924, the Office International des Epizooties was formed. Then, in May 2003, the Office International des Epizooties was renamed the World Organisation for Animal Health. However, the organisation kept its initial acronym. In 2017, the OIE was designated as an organisation entitled to benefits of the International Organizations Immunities Act. The founder and first General Director of the OIE was Dr Emmanuel Leclainche.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)

The OIE is an international organisation which works with an aim to improve animal health and welfare all over the world. It consists of over 182 member countries and works for over 90 years to the global animal health situation. Likewise, the work of the OIE includes transparency of diseases transmissible to humans, updating and publishing disease prevention methods, and ensuring the sanitary safety of world trade in animals and their products.

The Delegates of the OIE Member Countries have adopted international standards, which are recognized as a reference by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The activities conducted by the OIE are based on standards, transparency, expertise, and solidarity. The OIE supports and helps its member countries by improving the structure of their national animal health systems in line with the international standards of the organisation.

The OIE has a responsibility to provide all available information regarding exceptional disease events occurring in these countries, follow-up reports about these events, six-monthly reports about the OIE-listed disease situations in each country, and annual reports providing further background information on animal health, on laboratory and vaccine production facilities.

Read more about the World Veterinary Association.

The World Veterinary Association (WVA) is a federation and the world’s largest family of veterinarians. The WVA represents 500.000 veterinarians and over eighty veterinary medical associations from all over the world. The main goal of this federation is to promote animal health and welfare. It collaborates with other organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health, on behalf of its members. Here is everything you need to know about the World Veterinary Association.

The History of WVA

Dr J. Gamgee, Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at the Dick Veterinary College, summoned the first International Veterinary Congress in 1863. Together with other veterinary academics and veterinarians from Europe, he established the World Veterinary Congress. During the sixth World Veterinary Congress, the World Veterinary Association was formed. At the same congress, the International Association of Small Animal Specialists was also set up. The WVA was immediately accepted, grew very fast and it started representing the global veterinary profession.

The World Veterinary Association

The WVA aims in promoting and guaranteeing animal health and welfare though developing and advancing veterinary medicine and profession. Hence, the World Veterinary Association holds a congress every two years in a different place of the world. It also offers an online library where veterinary professionals and students can access information about veterinary topics, reports, and research. Moreover, the WVA issues policy papers on the most important global veterinary issues, as well as, a newsletter and an online educational portal.

The organizational structure of WVA consists of a general assembly, a council, working groups and committees, and secretariat. The WVA General Assembly is the most important platform for discussion and policies and representatives of all WVA Member Associations attend the assembly. The WVA Council consists of the President, President Elect, Immediate Past President, and 14 elected representatives from different parts of the world and International Organizations members.

Moreover, the WVA Committees and working groups are in fact the Council members and Ad hoc members, which support and promote the work of such groups. Last but not least, the WVA Secretariat’s role is the daily management of the Association, communication, maintenance and development of Membership. It is located in Brussels, Belgium.

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