India is set to host the 33rd Conference of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific, scheduled from November 13 to 16 in New Delhi. Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate and conclude the ceremonies. In addition, Union Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Dr Sanjeev Balyan and Dr L Murugan will also be present at the event.
The 90th General Session of the World Assembly of Delegates of the WOAH in Paris in May this year decided to hold this momentous occasion. The conference will be held at the Hotel Taj Mahal in New Delhi.
36 member countries to participate
Hosted by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, the conference will attract delegates from 36 member countries including India, senior officers from regional and international organizations and representatives from the private sector and private veterinary organizations in the region.
The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic emphasize the crucial role of scientific expertise in assessing risks at the human-animal-environment interface. It also underscores the necessity to enhance resilience and capacity in Veterinary Services for future challenges.
Face-to-face Regional Conferences like this one facilitate closer contact, active dialogue, and meaningful debates among delegates, invited experts and key regional partners. It is anticipated to be a week of fostering valuable discussions and building essential networking relationships.
World Organisation for Animal Health
The purpose of the WOAH is to safeguard the trade of animals and animal products worldwide, improve the level of the world’s public sanitation, appoint all kinds of regional reference laboratories for major epidemic disease cases, and promote international cooperation in the joint defence of epidemic diseases.
With committees in Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Eastern Europe and America, etc., the WOAH holds a conference in one of the member nations every two years to discuss issues such as how to prevent epidemic situations in separate regions and how to promote joint-defence against the severe epidemic diseases that occur in some regions.
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