History
The Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) was founded in 1967. Membership is open to National Veterinary Associations of Commonwealth member countries. Currently the CVA has 54 full members with each member association being represented on a Regional Council by a Councillor elected by the member association. Other non-Commonwealth countries are in the process of seeking associate membership. There are six regions representing Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Canada/Caribbean, East, Central and Southern Africa, West Africa and UK/ Mediterranean. Each Regional Council elects for a four-year term, a Regional Representative who becomes a member of Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is responsible for running the affairs of the Association. As well as the six Regional Representatives there are also a Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Programme Director and an Editor JCVA, under the Chairmanship of the President.
Membership
Individual members (veterinarians through national associations) 45,000
Regional Chapters or branches 6
National Chapters or branches 54
Institutional members
Associate Members
- Secretariat of the Pacific Community
- Association of Commonwealth Chief Veterinary Officers
- East Timor Veterinary Association
- St Maarten Veterinary Association
- Sudan Veterinary Association
- Afghanistan Veterinary Association
- World Society for the Protection of Animals
- Compassion in World Farming
- Mayhew International
The Technical Activities of CVA cover a wide range and include the following:
1. Journal, Book and Audiovisual Programme
2. Support for Veterinary Education
3. Training Programmes, Workshops and Seminars
4. CVA Website
5. CVA Publications ~ JCVA, CVA Handbook, Activity Report, CVA Brochure
6. Projects
7. Continuous Professional Development
Major conferences in every region once in two years and a Pan Commonwealth Conference every four years. The last one was held in Accra, Ghana in 2011, 750 delegates from 50 countries participated.
Important Achievements
- Poverty Alleviation of Women Poultry Farmers of the Indian sub-continent to include Pakistan and India
- A Rural Community Rabies Project to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Combined and Coordinated Medical and Veterinary Intervention of Rabies Control in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania)
- Implementation of a very successful Book & Journal exchange programme to aid poorer countries.
- Training of Pastoral Women on Livestock Management in Magadi Division of Kenya.
- Establishment of Goat Production Unit at Women's group in the Village of Chikwanji, Choma, Zambia
- Training of Women Dairy Farmers in India.
- Successful implementation of CVA Travel Fund Awards for field veterinarians which has benefited veterinarians from Malawi, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Timor-Leste.
