Week-long activities to mark World Veterinary Day climaxed with celebrations at Boma Grounds in Amolatar on Friday.

The World Veterinary Day is celebrated worldwide every last Saturday of April. Since 2008, the national veterinary association, the Uganda Veterinary Association, has partnered with UN agencies; government ministries and agencies; the private sector and NGOs to organize week-long community development activities that culminates into the national celebration day at the end of the week.

Vet Doctors across the country offered a list of veterinary services to mark the day. They inlcuded veterinary training , farmer training , diagnosis, treatment , vaccinations, zoonotic disease control, animal products inspections , animal breeding, animal feeding, surveillance and policy formulations.

The World Veterinary Day 2023 was celebrated under the theme ” Promoting Diversity, Equity and Veterinary Profession” with a sub theme “The Veterinarian’s role in national socio-economic transformation.”

In his speech, the Uganda Veterinary Association president Dr Daniel Kasibule bemoaned the focus on crops by government and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, at the expense of the animal and fisheries sectors.

He noted that since the ministries were merged, government funding for the animal sector continues to dwindle, which affects surveillance and timely response to outbreaks.

The Uganda Veterinary Association (UVA) is an umbrella Organization of over 1,223 members with a mission of promoting professionalism, welfare and interests of members to foster better livestock service delivery.

Kasibule  asked for reinstatement of the Ministry of Animal resources and Fisheries as a strategy to revamp Veterinary services.

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FULL SPEECH

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WORLD VETERINARY DAY NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS – 28^TH APRIL, 2023

 AT BOMA GROUND, AMOLATAR DISTRICT

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT UGANDA VETERINARY ASSOCIATION

Hon Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries,

Honorable Members of Parliament Present

The Country Representative, FAO Uganda,

The Resident District Commissioner, Amolatar

The LCV Chairman, Amolatar District

The Chief Administrative Officer, Amolatar

Colleagues, Veterinarians from Public, Private sector and Industry

Members of the Media Present,

 

Our Esteemed Guests today,

It is with profound honor and pleasure to address you on the 23^rd Celebrations of the World Veterinary Day.

The Uganda Veterinary Association (UVA) is an umbrella Organization of over 1,223 members with a mission of promoting professionalism, welfare and interests of members to foster better livestock service delivery

Hon Minister, over the years, UVA has had the privilege of partnering with MAAIF and other stakeholders in commemorating the World Veterinary Day (WVD) in different districts including Mpigi (2017), Ntoroko (2018), Buyende (2019), Arua (2020), Nakasongola (2021) and Ntungamo in 2022.We are happy to celebrate this year’s WVD in Amolatar District (The Center of Uganda). We thank Amolatar District for allowing to host this auspicious event and even actively participate in its organization. We thank our partners for the continued support towards making this event a success.

This year’s theme is Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness in the Veterinary Profession and sub theme The role of the veterinarian in socio economic transformation. This theme is very befitting as it promotes working in an inclusive mode while focusing on common goals that will transform and improve our livestock industry as we recover from the devastating effects of COVID -19. There is need for enormous collaborations with all stakeholders and cadres at various levels to achieve our ultimate goals. It comes at a time when vital policies in the livestock sector are under serious reviews and considerations because of their unpleasant states.

Honorable Minister, we appreciate your concerted effort towards fighting the notifiable diseases especially Foot and Mouth Disease plus the increment on the emoluments of the animal health workers.

CHALLENGES:

• Insufficient funding for Animal Industry and Veterinary Affairs right from ministry to local governments level this is evidenced by the fact that all vaccines against priority animal and zoonotic diseases are imported, there are no regional vaccine banks , quality assurance and standardization facilities, inadequate district level vaccine storage facilities and field based cold chain equipment, dilapidated veterinary offices across districts.
• Lack of Commensurate Pay to Veterinarians: Hon Minister, the pay increment for scientists in other fields excluding Veterinarians has led to the discomfort of Veterinarians and is resulting in the extensive migration of more competent veterinarians, His Excellency the President has always pronounced increment of pay to Medical workers without any consideration for veterinary counterparts who are carrying heavier load than any other ordinary scientists.  Whereas today, the country may not immediately feel the impact of this, within a period of 3-5 years, the result will be reflected in the performance of Animal Industry.

Our prayer to Government in view of the above is as follows:

• The Government should fast track the implementation of Presidential directive for MAAIF to take charge of veterinary drugs regulation and control
• Re centralization of veterinary services so that there is one chain of command from the CVO (Chief veterinary Officer).
• Increase the sector’s budget to reflect the 10% Malabo declaration,
• Enhance the salaries of Animal health professionals to be commensurate with that of the other scientists in the same bracket
• Expand and support private sector provision
• Develop, amend or update key policies and fast track their implementation
• Improve staffing at national and local levels
• Rehabilitation of veterinary offices so that asbestos sheets are removed (Even our veterinary offices in Wandegeya need urgent rehabilitation).
• Choose other days to be observed that will boost considerations of our other enigmas like FMD.
• Allocate more funds into research of a thermal stable vaccines (Comparison with the New castle Disease Kuku star vaccine by Brentec).
• MAAIF should develop and implement a national herd health program with meaningful funding for major epidemics vaccination calendar, Develop and disseminate SOPs for the major epidemics (FMD, African Swine Fever (ASF), New Castle Disease (NCD) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).
• Reinstating of the Veterinary scouts an equivalent of the VHTs.
• Fasten the gap filling of critical positions in the animal sector from Local Government to the Ministry.
• Commit meaningful resources to manufacture of priority vaccines (FMD, NCD, Rabies)
• Provide adequate storage facilities as the vaccine once released from the central stores needs to always be kept under stipulated temperature ranges up to the time of its use.
• Provide adequate vaccination funds and facilities for the field workers
• Streamline public service structure to embrace the different categories of animal health and production workers
• Improve funding to CoVAB for better and job competitive products realization.
• Security teams should stop arresting vets in line of their duty.

Once again, we thank you for honoring this important day and we reiterate our commitment to provide revitalized veterinary services for the betterment of the livestock industry.

Dr Kasibule Daniel

President UVA.