NEWS

The Twenty-fifth Arab Veterinary Congress, organized by the Egyptian Veterinary Society, Cairo, 6-9 May 2001

The Egyptian Veterinary Medical Association (EVMA) held its Twenty-fifth Arab Veterinary Congress in Cairo from 6 to 9 May 2001. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. The Congress was chaired by Prof. Dr Farouk El-Dessouky, President of EMVA.

The theme of the meeting was: "The need for an Arab Animal Health Commission". The opening ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr Youseff Wali (Vice Prime Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation), the President of the Medical Syndicate and the President of the General Organization for Veterinary Services (GOVS).

One hundred and six scientific papers were discussed, covering a variety of fields related to different domestic animal species including environmental factors, breeding, genetics, zoonotic diseases, emergency and transboundary animal diseases, epidemology, animal nutrition, physiology management and marketing.

The Congress concluded with the announcement of the establishment of an Arab Scientific Veterinary Association to be hosted in Cairo, with a number of objectives towards the improvement and development of veterinary science in the region.

Recommendations

1. The decree to establish a forum for animal health in the Near East is considered very important and necessary for its role in enhancing veterinary services, improving their adequacy and increasing cooperation and coordination among them to eradicate transboundary diseases. This resolution was adopted by Arab Agricultural Ministers at their regional meeting in Beirut organized by FAO in 2000.The Congress also called for support to the mutual trade of live animals and their products to cover the nutritional gap in animal protein and increase scientific awareness among veterinarians. The participants from member countries and FAO encouraged an acceleration and definition of a timetable for establishing this forum and its financial resources, and also the determination of goals that would enable the region to benefit from its activities.

2. The Congress confirmed that the security measures and regulations enforced by the Egyptian Government in its efforts to prevent bovine spongiform encephalopathy and other transboundary diseases reaching Egypt had resulted in the conservation of human safety and animal wealth in Egypt. It had also prevented any similar threats. It was recommended that the other Arab States also adopt these measures to protect their animal stocks.

3. The important role of the scientific veterinary communities participating in the Social and Development Fund in preparing feasibility studies for minor animal stock projects and in conducting appropriate training programmes was emphasized.

4. The importance of monitoring the uses of veterinary medicine to ensure that the safe withdrawal periods were observed was emphasized. This would ensure that meat, poultry and other animal products were free from any remaining medicines and safe for consumption.

5. The Congress stressed the importance of precautionary medicine to protect animal wealth from threatening dangers.

6. Aiming at realizing food security in Egypt and the Arab World, the Congress highlighted the following:

• The necessity of securing the convenient economic and political environment in the world so as to achieve economic integration among Arab states in the field of animal stock and development.
• Supporting investments in essential extension and environmental research in the institutions concerned with animal stock development. Priority must be given to research and guiding plans for increasing domestic production of meat, milk, fish and other related products.
• The importance of international assistance and cooperation so as to benefit from international expertise in the context of increasing nutritional animal and plant products was stressed.