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Message from WSAVA President Jolle Kirpensteijn

Dear Assembly members,

Ten days ago we were still in Geneva and our mutual mountain experience sends fond memories all over the world.
The WSAVA stands for education and support of veterinarians and veterinary channels on a global scale and I am honoured with the trust that was bestowed on me by you to lead this magnificent organization.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Jolle Kirpensteijn and I will be the WSAVA president for the next 2 years. My team has started enthusiastically at the end of the conference with planning the next year and you will be assured to hear from us. I welcome our ‘new’ board members Dr Veronica Leong from Hong Kong as 7th Board Member, Dr Di Sheehan from Australia as Vice President, and Dr Shane Ryan from Singapore as Honorary Treasurer. Dr Peter Ihrke moved up the ladder to become President-Elect.
Lots of gratitude goes to our (now) Past President, Dr David Wadsworth. He has moved and shaken the Association in a manner that was both tactful and decisive. Major initiatives were designed and successfully executed. He faced many challenges that he solved with poise and his presidency will be remembered by us all as one of the most successful in WSAVA history.

Last but not least, were would the Board have been without the continuous activities of our Hon Treasurer, Walt and his wife, our official office administrator, June Ingwersen. If you want to have your mailbox filled quickly send them a message with a request. Service with a smile is their motto. They definitely are the essential oil in our machinery.

We have all enjoyed a wonderful meeting in Geneva and we cannot say it enough: the Swiss did a marvelous job in hosting us and making the world congress 2010 a huge success. Chris Amberger and his team will be in our minds for a long time. And that the Swiss can do anything was proven this week during the world cup.
During the Assembly we made a great stride forward to ensure the financial viability of our association and at the same time we have put a lot of pressure on the Congress Steering Committee (CSC) to proceed with the excellent work that they have done on our behalf. Great news in this regard is that most of the members have decided to stay on and pursue the most ideal PCO (professional congress organizer) for our organization. There are 2 major choices, Kenes and MCI and a choice will be made in the upcoming weeks. We will definitely keep you updated.

Of course, South Africa needs to be congratulated with winning the bid of 2014. After 20 years our family will come back to the African continent and one of our main goals to reach the continent with our excellent continuing education efforts will be taking place in 2014. This meeting will have a true regional outreach, spreading from the natural boundaries of South Africa and touching vets all over the continent.

Although the disappointment of the other bidding countries is understandable because their bids and presentations were outstanding, making the assembly’s choice extra tough this year, we should focus on the future where a new bidding process makes the bids much easier and more predictable. Thanks to the CSC’s motion that was approved by the Assembly we will revisit continents every three years, allowing proper planning and solid performance.

Many meetings were held during this Congress and many big leaps were made. New standardisaton projects include the One Health Initiative, v5 Nutritional Standards Project, the Global Pain Council and the new to be erected Wellness Project. One Health under the leadership of Prof Michael Day will rock the world because it is the first of its kind that takes companion animals serious as an essential part of the One Health protocols. V5 stands for the 5th vital assessment and the important role nutrition plays in a healthy pet. We need to shift focus from therapy to prevention and building on keeping your pet healthy is one of the cornerstones. Proper nutrition is of course of the essence. The Wellness Project will be developed in the next 6 months. The Global Pain Council will translate knowledge of pain management and evaluation of pain in companion animals from well-established protocols in certain countries to the rest of the world. Key opinion leaders will pick out important issues and develop protocols that can be used by everybody. Wellness of pets is a mainstay of every veterinarian and linking global standards to wellness and welfare is key to improve veterinary care everywhere.

Exciting times are on the brink. We have just finished our 50-year celebration with fire works, friends and Swiss festivities. It is now time to concentrate on the next 50 years. Our ship is steaming ahead and we will make a difference for pets, vets and owners, alike. In this we need to reach our younger generation and our PR and marketing efforts will definitely focus on young vets and students. Please visit us at facebook (look for wsava and become a fan) or twitter (wsavaprez blog). We will keep you updated with the daily work of the executive board.

The theme of 2011 will be Global One Health. Starting with the first meeting of the One Health Project Group in January of next year and ending with a keynote International lecture of one of the most famous global virologists during the WSAVA 2011 World Congress hosted by KAHA on Jeju Island, South Korea. I wish my Korean friends 행운을 빌어요 (haeng-un-eul bil-eoyo; good luck) with the organization of this prestigious event and wish you all a happy new WSAVA year.

Jolle Kirpensteijn