President’s Message
As I am in the last few months as President of CVA, it is appropriate to look back a little on the pleasures and pains of this office over the four-year term. In fact there have been very few pains.
CVA is an organization that I am proud to have led as President for the last four years but have been associated with for the last 30 years rising to the position of President from the ranks of CVA Councillor, Regional Representative and Secretary.
CVA is a concept which has grown since its establishment over a period of nearly 48 years and thanks to all those who have worked over all these years, it is now widely recognized and respected, working with a very limited budget to deliver encouragement and support to veterinarians in Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries.
This has been achieved mainly through our conferences and workshops, but the other activities including the study fund; book and journal programme and the new initiative of Continuous Professional Development are also an integral part of CVA work. Undoubtedly the most dramatic exposure of CVA work has been the organization of six successful Pan Commonwealth Conferences held in Harare, Bangalore, Wellington, Barbados, Accra and Kuala Lumpur spanning all regions of the Commonwealth.
A landmark initiative of CVA was the establishment of a dedicated Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory in Bangalore, India in collaboration with Crucell, Holland and Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University that will prevent human Rabies deaths by early diagnosis of canine rabies not only in India but throughout the Indian subcontinent.
In addition, successful CVA projects implemented in the most developing countries of Africa and Asia and the Island countries of Caribbean and Australasia Oceania have given wide recognition to CVA which has led to many international collaborations and MOU’s signed by CVA with organisations such as OIE, World Animal Protection, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Murdoch University and very shortly we will be signing a new one with Vets Beyond Borders.
Finally the highlight of our 2015 CVA activity was the election of Peter Thornber, Treasurer of CVA as the President, Henry Magwisha, RR ECS African Region as Secretary, Deborah Kirton, CVA Councillor New Zealand as Treasurer and Jeff Cave CVA Councillor Australia as the Programme Director. Peter as everyone knows has had a very illustrious professional career in the Dept. of Primary Industries Govt of Australia and was the main architect of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy. He has been associated with CVA for a very long time and I am confident that under his leadership the CVA is in good hands!!!!
When I finish my term I will reflect on unbelievable assistance and kindness from so many of over 55 CVA Councillors, both past and present. There are number of people who have provided advice during my term of office. Our Past President Richard Sue Ire, Secretary, Karen Reed, Treasurer, Peter Thornber and Bob McCracken our Programme Director. I owe a lot to all of them whose valuable contribution and advice made my job very easy. I want to thank my wife Shireen, for her understanding and putting up with a husband who was most often pre-occupied or away.
I will of course continue to be part of the CVA Executive as Past President and Executive Director and will be very happy to assist the new office bearers in any capacity if I am required to do so.
I wish each and every one a very happy and successful New Year in 2016
Abdul Rahman
President CVA
