Unidad de Cultura Científica y de la Innovación

ceiA3 reserachers particpate in the World Conference of the World Organization for Animal Health 

G.C. - E.L

Veterinarians from 178 countries seeking homogenization of their training and their functions

The World Conference of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on Veterinary Education and the role of Veterinary Statutory Bodies is being held from 4th to 6th December in Foz do Iguacu (Brazil ). In these three days, more than 1,200 representatives of 178 countries are discussing the main problems faced by the veterinary profession at the international level,  primarily standardization of training and organization and functionality of official veterinary services.

For Antonio Arenas, ceiA3 researcher, professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Córdoba and a collaborator of the World Organization for Animal Health, which is taking part in the World Conference, the veterinary profession is extremely versatile and functions of the veterinarians depend sensitively on the policy of each country and even each region, while teaching is globally in a critical stage.

' While developed countries have high quality veterinary teaching programs, which are often under the systematic evaluation of international organizations, developing countries lack uniformity and show great differences in graduates’ knowledge and training by the end of their bachelors degrees. Recycling of graduates is difficult if not impossible. In this respect, the OIE is making significant technical, human and financial efforts to achieve global homogeneity in the profession, both knowledge- and structure-wise'. 

According to Prof. Arenas, 'veterinary medicine profession requires a basic education of high quality, as well as a long and well- organized learning and recycling system, since it deals with highly sensitive issues such as prevention of all aspects of human and animal health. We have assumed this for other health professions but not for veterinary medicine, however we must emphasize that the first line of human health prevention is monitored by the vet, not the physician, by controlling all products that enter the food chain”. 

' Although in our country official veterinary services are performed by civil servants', Arenas continues, 'it is increasingly common to leave many of the government services to private veterinarians. Indeed, they play an important role through their interaction with animals, owners and society, and cooperate with government departments in disease surveillance and certification of animals and animal products for trade or transportation. We should note that diseases begin in the Animal-owner interface, so that the private veterinarian is the foremost expert on detecting, investigating and diagnosing the disease. I think this is sufficient to justify continuing and advanced training, especially with regards to early detection and proper control of notifiable diseases, the organization of official services, appropriate communication skills and provisions on trade certification.

General Director of the OIE, Bernard Vallat (who will soon will be awarded a Honorary Doctorate by the University of Cordoba), said ' society has high expectations for the veterinary profession, especially on public health , animal welfare and food security issues; to help veterinary services to meet those expectations, member countries have assigned  OIE the responsibility to make appropriate recommendations on veterinary teaching and official veterinary services'.

According to Vallat, 'world population will continue to grow in the coming years, and will be reaching in 2050 more than 10 billion people, most of them in developing countries, a high proportion of who will reach middle class; this will result in increasing the number of meals per day and thus a considerable demand for animal protein, especially milk and eggs, which should increase production by more than 50 %. In addition, pathogens , that know no boundaries, have also increased causing major emerging and reemerging diseases in all continents. The veterinary profession must be prepared for these challenges in all parts of the world'.

'The challenges of the veterinary profession',  said Vallat, ' are a global public good and have important goals such as poverty reduction, food certification and assurance, animal health and welfare promotion, public health protection as well as food safety of production and our pets'.

 

For OIE General Director, 'the quality of veterinary education, both at graduate and postgraduate levels, and its effective regulation by veterinary services are the pillars of good governance of National Veterinary Services. The OIE has a mandate from its members to support the improvement of veterinary education in order to ensure national veterinary services in both public and private sectors. In this context, OIE aims to help ensure that veterinarians (both public and private ) have the skills to implement the OIE standards for animal health and welfare. OIE also has an obligation to help ensure the excellence of the veterinary profession worldwide so that social expectations are met and the profession enjoy high standards and respect, both from public and government sectors'

The Conference will conclude on Friday and, according to its General Director, the conclusions and recommendations reached will guide the OIE to develop new initiatives and programs to support countries wishing to strengthen compliance with OIE standards and a veterinary profession more efficient.