Line of communication between USDA supported Veterinarians Regional Associations, Platform for Animal Health in Georgia and National Animal Health Program has been successfully established
A well-attended joint meeting of Veterinarians’ Regional Associations (VRAs) and VRA Platform for Animal Health in Georgia was held in Lopota on 24-25th of October 2018. 25 private veterinarians from Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Adjara, Imereti and Kvemo Katli VRAs and representatives of Guria, Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Tbilisi regions actively participated on the meeting, held and facilitated by the Animal health (AH) Platform chairman and coordinator.
USDA’s Animal Health program have addressed animal health capacity-building since 2007 at both the government and private sector development side. USDA’s community-level capacity building component, through VRAs has been implemented by the Department of Rural Development and Vocational Education (DRDVE) Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) in partnership with Colorado State University (CSU).
Coordinator of the VRA Platform for AH in Georgia - Ketevan Rukhadze said “10 years passed since the first VRAs has been established in Georgia. This is last year and last joint meeting in frame of the USDA’s AH program. We are very grateful and appreciative of all the program support and intend to continue strengthen the private veterinary sector as an integral part of the country’s veterinary services”.
The Platform has established a line for communication between private veterinarians in 3 regions with no VRA yet (Guria, Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Tbilisi) of Georgia to with the existing VRAs. This will strengthen the coordination between them and achieves country coverage for the first time. The specific activities were set between VRAs and the Platform to develop the country coverage and deliver private veterinary sector representation at the national level. The AH Platform was nominated to become new members of the NAHP Steering Group in September 2018 and will join the next meeting in February 2019. “I would like to congratulate my colleagues for the achievement and recognition of our Platform at the national level”-said Zakakara Ginturi, chairman of the platform.
All VRA chairs and representatives of remaining regions expressed appreciation to GIPA and CSU for the support and development over 10 years and belief of regional recourses. The Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Dr. Debby Reynolds, CSU affiliated professor, for 10 Years of Continuing Support to Development of Private Veterinary Sector in Georgia.
“There is no doubt that the private veterinarians, previously described as ‘mobilised’, are now more accurately described as ‘operational and competent’. The private veterinary sector has been progressing well over the last 10 years, the private vets are mobilised, motivated, working in the state system as individuals, have recognised leaders and are able to contemplate operation of private revenue generating businesses. CSU will continue to support the Platform in every effort to sustain the achievements what you all have made”- said Dr. Debby Reynolds.
The role of private veterinarians, NAHP and Anthrax was the subjects of a keynote address delivered by Dr. Reynolds. The global, national and technical, subject based discussion guided this session. Information regarding the up-coming changes in animal Identification and traceability was presented by FAO funded NAITS program representative. VRAs performance and their level of independence were identified via existing self-assessment indicators. Additionally, GIPA external monitoring and evaluation officer held the breakout session regarding AH program impact observed by VRA members.
