Tag Archives: OIE

Vaccination theme for World Veterinary Day 2013.

Aside

Reply

Vaccination, one of the greatest scientific achievements according to veterinary leaders, is the selected theme for this year’s World Veterinary Day, to be celebrated on Saturday 27 April.

Vaccination of animals helps people to protect their livestock and their companion animals, as well as themselves in case of zoonotic diseases, says the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). A successful vaccination programme depends mainly on the use of high quality vaccines, appropriate infrastructure to ensure the rapid and safe delivery of vaccines, monitoring of vaccinated flocks, movement control of animals, and adequate financial resources. The veterinary profession, through effective and efficient veterinary services is crucial for the success of vaccination in animal health.

The Day was instigated by the World Veterinary Association and OIE to reward the most successful celebration of the veterinary profession by national veterinary associations, alone, or in cooperation with any other selected body.

The winner of the 2013 Award will be announced at the opening ceremony of the OIE’s 81st General Session to be held in Paris, France on 26 May 2013. The winner will be invited to the World Veterinary Congress 17-20 September in Prague in the Czech Republic to receive the US$1,000 prize.

For more information visit www.oie.int

David Bayvel moves to WSPA

Posted on by
Reply

A familiar face in New Zealand animal welfare is taking on a new international role.

As of 1 July, Dr David Bayvel QSO – who recently retired as director of animal welfare for MAF – will join the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) as Chief Veterinary Adviser. His newly created part-time role will be replacing the role held by Dr David Wilkins from 2004-2012.

In his new role, Bayvel will help to ensure that WSPA is working at the heart of the veterinary profession around the world to support and advance animal welfare. This will include working with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the drafting of standards to ensure the implementaton of international standards and laws to protect the welfare of animals, says WSPA. He will also advise on WSPA’s programmes supporting the education of veterinarians through specially designed animal welfare training modules.

A renowned expert in the fields of animal welfare and veterinary science, Bayvel’s career has taken him around the world in the past four decades, including posts in private and public sector organisations and veterinary practice promoting ethical care and treatment of animals. He recently retired from the position of director of animal welfare for New Zealand MAF. He chaired the OIE ad hoc export group meeting on animal welfare and chaired the permanent OIE Animal Welfare working group from 2002-2012. He will now move to represent the International Coalition for Animal Welfare on this important OIE group.

Bayvel says he’s honoured to join WSPA. “I have long admired WSPA’s measured approach to animal welfare and its commitment to improving the conditions for animals around the world. WSPA has a proven track record on the world stage of forging collaborations with other key international NGOs and governments to have a lasting positive impact for animals and their communities.”

Dr Wilkins is to continue his involvement with WSPA, working on several special projects.

First international standards adopted for animal welfare in livestock production

Posted on by
Reply

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has adopted new generic guiding principles on animal welfare relating to livestock production systems and a new chapter on the welfare of cattle bred for meat production.

Agreement was reached at the OIE’s 80th General Session, held in Paris and was said to be siginficant by the OIE’s director general Bernard Vallet after delegates’ failure in 2011 to reach agreement on animal welfare of broiler chickens. “This is an historical event that opens the way to adoption of animal welfare standards of other farm animal production,” he said.

The new adopted texts provide for criteria and indicators to measure the welfare of beef cattle, nutritious quality of feed, supplementary lighting for cattle that do not have access to natural light, bedding and many other aspects of cattle breeding conditions.

Other key decisions reached by delegates include new texts on the responsible and prudent use of antibiotics in animals for consumption purposes.