The Commonwealth Veterinary Association - what does it do?

ON a very small budget for an international organisation, and with only a voluntary secretariat, the Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) supports young professional vets and researchers from poorer countries. It does this through, for example, providing short-term training programmes; offering a CVA study fund that enables people from less privileged countries to visit other countries for professional development; organising conferences; publishing relevant field research; providing networking and leadership opportunities to veterinary professionals; and facilitating knowledge exchange within regional contexts. The CVA also works towards improving the livelihoods of resource-poor communities through supporting small field-based animal health and welfare projects.

The CVA was founded in 1967 and its development runs parallel to that of many other Commonwealth professional associations, following on from the registration of the Commonwealth Foundation as a Charitable Trust (under English law) in 1966. The Commonwealth Foundation aims to encourage the growth of Commonwealth-wide professional associations, help create national professional societies and encourage the personal interchange of skills and experience. The mission, aims and objectives of the CVA fit well under this umbrella and the CVA is accredited to the Commonwealth Foundation as a professional association.

Structure and membership

Membership of the CVA is open to national veterinary associations (such as the BVA) of Commonwealth member countries. This helps to fulfil the aim of linking associations together. Individuals are not members.

There are currently 54 full member associations divided into six regions representing Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Canada/Caribbean, East, Central and Southern Africa, West Africa and UK/ Mediterranean (the UK/Mediterranean region includes the UK, the Falkland Islands, Malta and Cyprus).

Mission and objectives

The mission of the CVA is:

'To promote the veterinary profession within the Commonwealth by encouraging the highest professional standards of education, ethics and service in order to advance animal health, productivity and welfare so as to improve the quality of life of all its peoples.'

Its objectives are:

To promote within the Commonwealth the interests of the veterinary and allied sciences;

To facilitate the dissemination of professional knowledge and information;

To promote interchange between its members;

To encourage the creation of statutory bodies to regulate the study and practise of veterinary science in member countries where none exist;

To promote animal health and welfare, animal production and veterinary public health within...