REPORT ON THE TVA/CVA CONFERENCE

Prepared By: Dr. Ngwisha Joshua, Communications Coordinator, Commonwealth Veterinary Association
Event: Joint CVA and Tanzania Veterinary Association (TVA) Regional Conference
Date: December 3^rd – 5^th, 2024
Location: Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania

Introduction

The Joint CVA and TVA Regional Conference, hosted at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania, provided an exceptional platform for veterinary professionals across East Central and Southern African Commonwealth countries to collaborate on addressing critical issues in veterinary medicine. As Communications Coordinator for CVA, I actively participated in the event to represent the CVA Secretariat and contribute to discussions on capacity building, One Health, and sustainable veterinary practices including CVA Member Opportunities.

Highlights of the Conference

Knowledge Sharing:

• Presentations from leading experts on zoonotic disease control, innovative veterinary diagnostics, and sustainable livestock development.
• Success stories on combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the role of phytochemicals in reducing antibiotic dependency.
• CVA presentation also attracted a lot of attention with proposals such as the CVA coordinating journals for member states through the CVA journal like publishers, such as Springer or Taylor and Francis often do. The PCVC8 was also brought to the fore during the presentation.

Joint Collaboration:

• The partnership between CVA and TVA showcased effective collaboration in organizing a well-structured and impactful event.
• TVA’s local expertise complemented CVA’s international outreach, creating a diverse and enriching program.

Networking Opportunities:

• Engagement with delegates from across regional Commonwealth nations, fostering inter-member association partnerships.

Advocacy and Communication:

• Workshops on advocacy for the One Health approach, animal welfare and enhancing veterinary communication at regional and global levels were also touched on.

Acknowledgment of CVA Support

I wish to extend my profound gratitude to the Commonwealth Veterinary Association for its logistical and financial support. This backing was instrumental in ensuring the CVA secretariat representation and the successful participation of its regional delegates.

Future Directions

• Enhance collaboration between CVA and member associations to address emerging veterinary challenges.
• Organize more joint events with national veterinary associations, such as TVA, to leverage local expertise and foster regional integration.
• Delegates requested for increased involvement in the planning of the PCVC8 so that they can also have a hand in resource mobilization locally to ensure the success of the event.
• Delegates also felt that the Secretariat/ executive needs to interact more with the national delegates, either through an annual meeting or as may be required.
• Suggestions on aligning the financial calendar to that of member associations also arose, as most national associations collect funds through subscriptions at the beginning of the calendar year (January) and would be more comfortable with making subscriptions around the same period.
• Regional Communications Coordinators with properly assigned terms of reference were also suggested during the delegates-only meeting. Suggestions for the creation of regional CVA websites which local and multinational associate members would back were also forwarded.
• It was also suggested that CVA could facilitate the opening up of a WOAH-accredited rabies reference laboratory in the region as the prevalence of rabies is generally high.

Conclusion

The Joint CVA and TVA Regional Conference underscored the value of collaboration in advancing veterinary practices across the Commonwealth. The event reinforced CVA’s commitment to fostering professional development and addressing pressing veterinary issues through joint initiatives.