International award offers opportunity for AVMA members to shine

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Nominations open for World Veterinary Association awards

AVMA and Student AVMA members who have worked to protect the welfare of animals now have the opportunity to win recognition from the World Veterinary Association (WVA).

As a constituent member of the WVA, the AVMA is able to submit nominations for the 2019 World Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Awards. These prestigious awards will honor six veterinarians and one veterinary student from around the world who have provided exemplary welfare-related services to animals, animal owners, fellow veterinarians, students, and the public. It’s a unique opportunity open only to AVMA and SAVMA members through our relationship with WVA.

The winners will receive awards of 5,000 Euros, plus travel and accommodation expenses to attend the 35th WVA Congress in San Jose, Costa Rica, where they will be recognized in April 2019. Complete application and nomination information can be downloaded here:

Applications must be submitted to the AVMA by 5 p.m. Central time on Monday, November 19.

Global partnerships make us stronger

International alliances are a key component of the AVMA’s work to support U.S. veterinarians and the veterinary profession. As the 2019 WVA Animal Welfare Awards show, they also open up new and expanded opportunities to our members. "It is precisely the AVMA's role in global veterinary medicine that provides AVMA and SAVMA members with this opportunity to share their significant contributions to animal welfare with colleagues around the world," said AVMA President Dr. John de Jong.

Whether looking at scientific issues, advocating for wise public policy, or working to improve the daily lives of veterinarians, international partnerships strengthen our ability to make a difference both at home and around the world.

One example is our upcoming participation at the OIE Global Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, which will be held next week in Morocco. At the event, Dr. Mike Costin, an assistant director in the AVMA’s Division of Animal and Public Health, will share important resources developed by the AVMA on antimicrobial resistance – including the AVMA’s policy on antimicrobial stewardship – and learn from other attendees about their own stewardship programs.

Another area where global partnerships have been critical to AVMA members is in ensuring that veterinarians have access to essential drugs. For example, when stricter ketamine regulations were proposed to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the AVMA worked alongside our international allies to emphasize the need to retain veterinary access to this critical drug. The U.N. Commission decided not to act on the proposal, in part because of the combined efforts of AVMA members and our global partners – including the WVA, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). We continue to work with our international colleagues to monitor this issue closely.

One of the most recent examples of a valuable AVMA partnership is with our colleagues in the United Kingdom. The AVMA and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) have joined forces to promote mental health and wellbeing across the veterinary profession. As announced in September, our organizations will collaborate on projects to support mental health across the veterinary team.

Finally, international partnerships are especially important when it comes to advocacy. The AVMA, FVE, and CVMA have released joint statements on a variety of issues, including animal welfare, education, and the role of veterinarians in protecting environmental and public health, to name just a few. These statements carry the weight of more than 40 countries and 300,000 veterinarians, demonstrating to our respective governments a unified voice across our profession and the globe.

As part of a global community, it’s crucial that veterinarians work together to make progress toward our shared goals. Whether discussing mental health, the use of antimicrobials, access to narcotics, animal welfare, or other critical issues, the AVMA’s global alliances allow AVMA members to be part of the conversation and share valuable resources, information, and ideas with fellow veterinarians around the world.

 

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