From May 26 to 30, 2024, VSF International had the honor of participating in the annual General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) held in Paris. Earlier this year, we renewed our partnership agreement with WOAH for an additional two years, effective since 2020. This renewal reflects the willingness to collaborate between our organizations and our presence at this event was an opportunity to solidify our mutual commitment and explore new avenues for animal health and welfare.
This session included the election of Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran as the new Director General of WOAH. We extend our congratulations on her appointment.
In her inaugural speech, she notably highlighted the importance of community animal health workers (CAHWs), which are at the core of the joint project implemented by WOAH and VSF International to develop competency and curricula guidelines and recommendations for sustainable deployment of CAHWs.
CAHWs are community members trained to provide animal health care and livestock advice. They play a crucial role in animal and human health in rural areas where access to veterinary care is limited or absent. At VSF International, members have recognized their crucial role for many years, promoting sustainable livestock management practices and disease reporting, thereby contributing to improved livelihoods, food security, and public health.
We look forward to continuing our collaboration with WOAH and seeing the benefits of the CAHWs project materialize for rural communities.
VSF Netherlands : CAHW Malawi
