AVMA wins World Veterinary Day Award for COVID-19 response

The AVMA has won this year’s World Veterinary Day Award for its immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Association developed an online COVID-19 resource center that was first made available to veterinarians around the world in February 2020—three weeks before the World Health Organization’s global pandemic declaration.

The WVA created World Veterinary Day in 2000 as an annual celebration of the veterinary profession, taking place on the last Saturday of April. The World Veterinary Day Award, given by the WVA and Health for Animals, the global animal medicines association, honors one WVA member’s activities related to the theme. This year’s focus was the veterinarian response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Drs. Patricia Turner, WVA president, and Carel du Marchie Sarvaas, executive director for Health for Animals, virtually presented the award and $3,500 to Dr. Douglas Kratt, AVMA president, on July 29 in Chicago during AVMA Virtual Convention 2021.

“Throughout the SARS-CoV-2 global crisis and continuing to the present, the AVMA has demonstrated stellar national and international leadership by supporting veterinary professionals around the world with critical information and resources intended to ensure practice sustainability and continuity as well as protecting safety and public health,” Dr. Turner said.

Dr. Kratt thanked the groups for the award and said he was in awe of the work done by the AVMA’s 97,000 members around the country and by the AVMA staff during a crisis of historic proportions.

“We partnered with international colleagues to share information, new knowledge, and best practices in responding to the pandemic,” Dr. Kratt said. “And the AVMA team worked tirelessly to support our members and help educate the public about the evolving disease and its impact on animal and human welfare.”

The AVMA’s COVID-19 webpage continues to provide information for practitioners and their clients as well as accounts of how veterinarians around the U.S. provided patient services, protected the food supply, and responded to COVID-19 with a one-health mindset.

The AVMA also received the 2014 World Veterinary Day Award for developing an online hub about animal welfare.