Improving veterinarians’ access to safe and effective medicine and vaccines is central to the development of the world’s first essential veterinary medicines list (EVML) for food producing animals.
Launched by the World Veterinary Association (WVA) and international charity Brooke, the EVML further aims to help respond to the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as support in pandemic prevention and preparedness.
According to Dr. Olatunji Nasir, chair of the WVA Pharmaceutical Stewardship Working Group, the list “will help veterinarians and authorities in making better choices of medicines, biologics, and vaccines supply” that fit local needs. Further, he adds the role veterinarians play in gatekeeping and controlling zoonoses: “…this is a responsibility that we share with authorities and agencies in our various jurisdictions. Together, we stamp our feet in the One Health pathway.”
The EVML includes core vaccines and medication selected by expert working groups based on relevance, efficacy, and cost effectiveness. The first phase of the project covers the needs of equids, large ruminants, pigs, goats, and sheep; with the second phase focusing on poultry, rabbits, and the last phase including aquaculture and bees.
The EVML for food producing animals will be a free-to-access resource to be updated regularly on a calendared basis.
For more information, read the statement from the World Veterinary Association.