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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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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.