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Essential vet medicines list endorsed by Ethiopia
“There is a long road ahead of us to distribute these much-needed medicines to improve the welfare and health of our animals” – Alemayehu Hailemariam.
Accessing veterinary resources has been difficult for vets in the country.

A new Essential Veterinary Medicines List has been endorsed by Ethiopia’s government, raising hopes that it will help improve animal and human health in a country that experiences shortages of key veterinary medicines.

The list, developed by the animal welfare charity Brooke and its partners, contains 661 core medicines that cover a large range of animals, from poultry, equine, and ruminants, to pets and camels.

The medicines were selected by working groups of experts from seven veterinary colleges.

Both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ethiopia Agriculture Authority have given their support to the list, which will be implemented nationally.

Previous research by Brooke has found that 100 per cent of veterinary practitioners in Ethiopia did not have access to pain relieving medication for animals and 40 per cent lacked equipment such as syringes and needles.

The charity has been working with the Ethiopian Veterinary Association and the Ethiopian government since 2021 to improve animal health in the country. It hopes that the new list will make it easier for animals in the country to access the veterinary treatment they need and reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading.

Alemayehu Hailemariam, head of programme development and quality assurance at Brooke Ethiopia, said: “Brooke is proud and happy to lead this list of essential veterinary medicines to its first milestone, for a resource-constrained country like Ethiopia.

“There is a long road ahead of us to distribute these much-needed medicines to improve the welfare and health of our animals.”

Essential Medicines Lists originated in human health in the 1970s. They contain the medicines that are considered to most effectively meet the key healthcare needs of a population.

Brooke has also recently produced a global Essential Veterinary Medicines List for food producing animals in collaboration with the World Veterinary Association.

Image © Shutterstock

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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
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.