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AFSCAN announces educational initiative in Africa
"Working together, we will advance the veterinary profession across Africa and, in so doing, improve the lives of millions of animals and humans."
Project aims to advance standards of veterinary care across Africa

The Board of the African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN) has launched a distance learning educational program and has set out plans for the creation of five new veterinary associations in Africa.

AFSCAN, an initiative from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, aims to advance standards of veterinary care across Africa through facilitating the creation of a sustainable network of companion animal veterinarians, associations and specialist groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project was launched during a meeting of the AFSCAN board which took place during the WSAVA World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2014.  

The programme provides access to a range of online learning resources, on computers and internet-connected devices which have been donated by UK veterinary practices.

Veterinary associations have also been set up in Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. It is hoped that the first of them will receive WSAVA membership at the WSAVA World Congress, in May 2015.

Dr Gabriel Varga, Chairman of the AFSCAN Board, said:  "In the six months since AFSCAN was launched, we have built a committed community of  experts and partner organisations who share our goals.  We are very grateful to them all for their support.  

"Working together, we will advance the veterinary profession across Africa and, in so doing, improve the lives of millions of animals and humans.  With the foundations of our work now firmly in place, we are looking forward to working towards our goals in the months ahead."

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Nominations for 2019 RSPCA Honours Awards now open

News Story 1
 People across the UK are being urged to nominate a standout animal champion for the 2019 RSPCA Honours Awards.

The awards recognise those who have worked tirelessly to improve animal welfare, campaigned on behalf of animals, or shown true bravery. Previous winners include comedian John Bishop, who was awarded Celebrity Animal Champion of the Year, and 11-year-old Lobby Cantwell, who raised more than £1,000 for the charity through mountain climbs and bike rides.

To submit a nomination or find out more about the awards visit the RSPCA website. Nominations will remain open until 4 pm on Friday, March 15.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New £1m project to investigate dairy cow lameness

Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is leading a new £1 million research project to investigate the causes of lameness in dairy cows.

One in three dairy cows are affected by lameness every day in the UK, costing the industry an estimated £250 milion annually.

The project will take three years to complete and is due to finish by November 2021.

Professor Georgios Banos of SRUC commented: “In addition to pain and discomfort to the animal, lameness is associated with decreased milk production and inflated farm costs.

“Among cows raised in the same environment, some become lame while others do not. Understanding the reasons behind this will help us develop targeted preventive practices contributing to enhanced animal welfare and farm profitability.”