As the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) continues its campaign to secure equal access to veterinary therapeutics around the world, more global animal health organizations lend their support. The World Veterinary Association, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, and the Federation of Companion Animal Francophone Veterinary Associations are the latest groups to join the cause with 10 WSAVA member associations already involved. In a 2016-2017 member survey, 75 percent of respondents confirmed that challenges to accessing veterinary medical products hampered their ability to meet the needs of their patients, and 20 percent assessed the impact of this issue as resulting in a severe restriction on their ability to provide a high level of care. “We face a Herculean task in trying access everything from basic medical consumables, such as syringes and needles, right up to veterinary drugs,” said Olatunji Nasir, DVM, MVsc (Surgery), MCVSN, medical director and CEO of the Truthmiles Animal Hospital in southwest Nigeria, one of the countries affected. “Registration fees are very high because they are the equivalent of what is charged for human drugs despite the fact that the volume used is much lower. The process of registering a new drug can also take up to 36 months, which feeds demand for sub-standard products which are smuggled into the country. The procedures for importing drugs are also cumbersome and impractical.” The WSAVA launched its campaign earlier this year to address these issues and is calling on all of its member associations to endorse its position statement and support its campaign. The association also is asking other veterinary associations to become statement co-signatories. “Difficulty in accessing therapeutics to treat patients is a critical issue for companion animal veterinarians in many parts of the world,” said Luca Guardabassi DVM, Ph.D., ECVPH, professor of One Health Antimicrobial Resistance at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and WSAVA’s newly appointed first chair of Therapeutics Guidelines Group, which spearheads the association’s campaign. “It causes huge frustration and means that many thousands—probably millions—of animals do not receive optimum care. It’s a situation that requires urgent change, and we are determined to bring this about." At WSAVA’s World Congress in Singapore in September, stakeholders from around the world will meet to discuss solutions. Veterinary associations that are co-signatories of the WSAVA’s position statement on therapeutic access include: Commonwealth Veterinary Association Federation of Companion Animal Francophone Veterinary Associations Federation of Veterinarians of Europe Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations Federation of Asian Small Animal Veterinary Associations Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations Federacion Iberoamericana de Asociaciones Veterinarias de Animales de Compania HealthforAnimals World Veterinary Association WSAVA member associations that have endorsed its position statement include: Estonian Small Animal Veterinary Association Federation of Small Animal Practitioners Association, India Ghana Private Veterinary Surgeons Association Hellenic Companion Animal Veterinary Society Kenyan Small Companion Animal Association The Netherlands Association of Companion Animal Medicine North American Veterinary Congress The Philippines Animal Hospital Association The Polish Small Animal Veterinary Association WSAVA represents more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide through its 105 member associations and works to enhance standards of clinical care for companion animals. Its core activities include the development of WSAVA Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice and lobbying on important issues affecting companion animal care worldwide.
