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Call for Abstracts

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Dates : 26 to 28 November 2024 

Location : Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya 

 

**SAVE THE DATE**

Call for Abstracts NOW OPEN

(New deadline to submit: 21 July 2024, 23:59 CEST, Paris time, GMT+1) 

In October 2015, the World Organisation for Animal Health (founded as OIE), together with the African Veterinary Technicians Association (AVTA), and with the financial and technical support of the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) and the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), convened the Continental Conference on the Role of Veterinary Paraprofessionals in Africa: Linking veterinary para-professionals and veterinarians in Pretoria, South Africa.  

The 2015 conference resulted in clear recommendations for Members and WOAH. Yet challenges still prevail to allow effective integration of VPPs in the workforce, and harmonised, fit-for-purpose education and training that ensures the graduation of competent, work-ready veterinarians and VPPs. These challenges include a limited number of VSBs in Africa that recognise and register VPPs, limited legislation that recognises VPPs, lack of opportunities for VPPs to provide services in the private sector, lack of regulation or implementation of appropriate antimicrobial use and need for further training and management, and gender discrepancies in workforce and service provision. 

With more than 200 attendees, the Africa Continental Conference – Towards a more resilient veterinary workforce for Africa 2024 will gather WOAH Members, Veterinary Authorities, Veterinary Statutory Bodies (VSBs), Veterinary and VPP associations, special interest groups and many more, to tackle the issues stated above, as well as connect, educate and inspire!  

 

We are pleased to invite you to submit an abstract on a topic relevant to veterinary workforce development. Topics are listed below. The abstracts will be selected and presented either as posters, short presentations or panel sessions.   

 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT 

Please submit your abstract via the online form on this link  

 

DEADLINES FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION 

  • Submit Deadline: The deadline to submit your abstract is 21 July, 2024 (23:59 CEST). 
  • Approval Deadline: By mid-August you will receive a response on whether your abstract has been accepted  

 

TOPICS TO CHOOSE FROM 

Theme  Topics considered for abstract submission 
Education 
  • Innovations or experiences that stimulate interest in the veterinary and veterinary paraprofessional sectors. 
  • Innovations in admissions processes that make education available to broad communities, including rural areas and gender balance. 
  • Other topics relevant to improve recruitment of candidates for veterinary and VPP training to address identified needs. 
  • Incentive programmes or enabling actions aimed at filling service gaps in underserved areas. 
  • Success stories of the WOAH  Veterinary Education Establishments (VEE) Twinning Programme or VPP curricula/development missions. 
  • Veterinary workforce development in Africa: the role of technology for competency-based learning 
  • Best practices and potential challenges of e-learning platforms in the Africa region 
  • Collaborative learning and learners’ engagement 
Workforce assessment and development 
  • How countries have put into practice WOAH recommendations from 2015 on VPPs 
  • Member updates on veterinary workforce development and VPP integration 
  • Case studies of veterinary workforce assessments in the past 5 years. 
  • Country testimonials on the value of workforce assessments for workforce planning  
  • New, novel or adaptive methodologies for conducting veterinary workforce assessments. 
  • Addressing the challenge of insufficient data in workforce assessment 
  • Case studies on addressing shortages in different cadres of the veterinary workforce through workforce planning. 
  • Case studies of modifying the enabling environment (law, regulation, training) to facilitate workforce planning objectives. 
  • Use of upskilling or continuous professional development (CPD) for addressing workforce gaps. 
  • Youth perspectives on futures of the veterinary and One Health workforce – case studies or perspectives from students and recent graduates. 
Creating a sustainable working environment  
  • Country experiences and best practices regarding sustainable deployment of vets, VPP and CAHWs in private and public sectors 
  • Regional experience in free establishment of vets, VPP in a foreign country 
  • Best practices for VPP professional integration in country 
  • Experiences of collaboration between VPP and vets, with a focus on VPP supervision by vets in private sector  
  • Case studies and experiences related to PPP Interventions to improve terrestrial and aquatic animal health and welfare 
  • Impact of PPP in trade of livestock and livestock products  
  • Opportunities and challenges in implementing of PPPs in the veterinary domain 
  • Country experiences with establishing or reforming legislation on the veterinary workforce e.g; How establishing this legislation affected the veterinary profession, the steps involved, challenges and how they were overcome 
  • Country experiences with the WOAH Veterinary Legislation Support Programme in relation to regulating the veterinary workforce e.g. key recommendations, follow-up 
  • Country experiences with establishing or reforming a national Veterinary Statutory Body (VSB) to regulate the veterinary workforce, (particularly for inclusion of VPPs.) 
  • Case studies, challenges and successes related to including women in animal health/veterinary public health/laboratory interventions and improving gender and inclusion in access to services 
  • Case studies, examples or research on  mentorship, career pathways and leadership for women in veterinary services  
Technical themes and enabling environment for effective veterinary workforce   

 
  • Roles and responsibilities, cooperation, good practice for training and deployment in emergency management and/or  biological threat reduction 
  • Experience sharing on how various professional categories are used in surveillance or emergency management.  
  • Case studies demonstrating multisectoral collaboration at national/sub-national/cross-border levels across the topics: the evolution, spread, and prevention of AMR and improved use of antimicrobials in animals; Priority Emerging, re-emerging and endemic zoonoses with regards to surveillance investigation and response; Novel methods and used to assure safety of Food of animal origin ; Impact of climate change and other environmental factors on vector borne diseases 

 

YOUR POINT OF CONTACT 

For any inquiries regarding the submission process, please contact us at [email protected] 

 

Thank you for your interest. 

Best regards, 

 

WOAH Coordination team for the Africa Continental Conference  

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

When/where is the Africa Continental Conference – Towards a more resilient veterinary workforce for Africa 2024 

It will be held from 26 – 28 November 2024 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya 

 

What is the deadline for abstract submissions? 

The deadline for abstract submissions is 21 July , 2024 at 23:59 CEST 

 

How can I submit my abstract? 

To submit a session abstract, please complete the online form via this link . Follow the instructions provided and be sure to fill out all required fields. 

 

What are the topics for the abstracts? 

The topics for the abstracts are all listed in the email you received as well as in the form shared above. When you submit your abstract, you will need to select the session and the topic as part of your online submission form. 

 

Can I revise my abstract after it has been submitted? 

No. Once you submit your abstract,  modifications will no longer be possible. 

 

Can I submit more than one abstract? 

Yes. You can fill and send more than one form. Each form represents one abstract submission. 

 

Is there an abstract submission fee? 

No.  Submission of  abstracts is free. 

 

What should I do if I would like to withdraw my abstract? 

Should you decide to retract your abstract, kindly submit a written request to [email protected]. 

 

When and how will I receive notification about the status of my abstract? 

Email notifications regarding the acceptance or rejection of abstracts will be dispatched to the primary submitter around mid-August 2024. 

 

Will I be invited to attend the conference if my abstract is selected? 

The invitation list for the conference is determined between WOAH, its Members and partners.

 

I have a question that isn’t answered above, who do I contact? 

You can contact [email protected] if you have any further questions.