I am pleased to know that “World Veterinary Day” is being observed throughout the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 27th April, 2019 and is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Veterinarians to the health of animals and society. The theme for World Veterinary Day-2019 is “Value of Vaccination”.
Vaccination is an essential tool for preventive veterinary medicine, promotion of animal health and welfare, and reducing the risk of human exposure to many zoonotic pathogens. Historically, immunization practices and vaccination protocols have contributed to significantly reduce the prevalence of many life-threatening diseases. The risks of not vaccinating can be significant to individual animals and populations, and can have consequences on livelihoods of rural livestock producers in economically developed and emerging regions. Effective vaccination programs, broadly implemented, are likely to reduce the need for antimicrobials, which in turn can help reduce the risk of emergent antimicrobial resistance. It is essential for the veterinary professionals to educate the public, particularly pet owners and farmers, about the benefits of vaccination for animals, human and public health.
On this occasion, I extend my best wishes to all the professionals engaged in the field veterinary profession along with the pet owners and livestock farmers of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Sd/-
(Admiral D K Joshi)
PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.)
Lieutenant Governor
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
&
Vice-Chairman, Islands Development Agency
