Groups will create list of essential veterinary medicines for livestock

The World Veterinary Association and animal welfare charity Brooke will collaborate to create what they say is the first global list of essential veterinary medicines for livestock.

This will give food production animals such as cattle, pig and poultry, and working animals such as horses and donkeys, access to timelier and more standardized treatment, according to the announcement. The groups say this will help prevent future pandemics of zoonotic diseases.

The list will contain basic medicines and vaccinations, selected for their relevance, efficacy and cost effectiveness, that the groups say should be available in every country to every veterinarian.

An estimated 2 billion people have no access to essential medicines, a problem that’s believed to be worse among animal populations, according to the World Health Organization.

WHO created the first list of essential human medicines in 1977, and that list is updated every two years. The health of animals can have enormous impacts on human populations. This makes preventing disease in animals through vaccination and quality health care essential for human health, the WVA and Brooke say.

“In our work across Africa, Asia and Latin America, we work with more than 4,000 veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals, many of whom do not have access to essential medicines,” said Dr. Shereene Williams, global animal advisor at Brooke. “In Ethiopia alone, we found that 100% of practitioners did not have access to pain relieving medicines for animals, and 40% lacked basic supplies such as syringes and needles.

“This situation makes it impossible for vets to fulfill their professional oath to protect and save animals from pain and disease; it also puts human health at risk.”