IFAH Executive Director Barbara Freischem said: “Antimicrobials, and especially antibiotics, are indispensable tools in the control of animal disease through appropriate prevention and treatment. Their contribution to animal health and basic animal welfare, as well as to human health through treatment of potentially contagious diseases and the supply of safe, high quality food for consumption by the world’s growing population, is crucial.

Like all medicines, however, antibiotics need to be used responsibly. It is vital that they are used with care and discrimination to help maintain their effectiveness and limit resistance development. Innovation and R&D will also be of vital importance to find new classes of antibiotics and to find innovative ways to fight new diseases which pose a risk to both animals and humans. Policy makers need to consider the encouragement of an environment which fosters this much needed innovation.”

IFAH joins the WVA and OIE in celebrating the promotion of good governance of veterinary services. Numerous voluntary national and regional guidelines on the responsible use of veterinary medicines, including antibiotics, have been developed and instituted over the past decade to encourage best practices in veterinary medical practice. The animal health industry supports these initiatives and is committed to maintaining the availability and efficacy of antibiotics as an essential part of the veterinarians’ toolbox to be used responsibly: as little as possible, as much as necessary.”

IFAH
The International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH) is an organisation representing manufacturers of veterinary medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in both developed and developing countries across five continents. The mission of IFAH is to foster a greater understanding of animal health matters and promote a predictable, science-based regulatory environment that facilitates the supply of innovative and quality animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products into a competitive market place. These products contribute to a healthy and safe food supply as well as a high standard of health and welfare for animals and people.

For further information on IFAH, please visit www.ifahsec.org
For further press information please contact
Kim Hardie, Communications Director
Tel.: +32 2 543 75 75
E-mail: k.hardie@ifahsec.org

IFAH Executive Director Barbara Freischem said: “Antimicrobials, and especially antibiotics, are indispensable tools in the control of animal disease through appropriate prevention and treatment. Their contribution to animal health and basic animal welfare, as well as to human health through treatment of potentially contagious diseases and the supply of safe, high quality food for consumption by the world’s growing population, is crucial.

Like all medicines, however, antibiotics need to be used responsibly. It is vital that they are used with care and discrimination to help maintain their effectiveness and limit resistance development. Innovation and R&D will also be of vital importance to find new classes of antibiotics and to find innovative ways to fight new diseases which pose a risk to both animals and humans. Policy makers need to consider the encouragement of an environment which fosters this much needed innovation.”

IFAH joins the WVA and OIE in celebrating the promotion of good governance of veterinary services. Numerous voluntary national and regional guidelines on the responsible use of veterinary medicines, including antibiotics, have been developed and instituted over the past decade to encourage best practices in veterinary medical practice. The animal health industry supports these initiatives and is committed to maintaining the availability and efficacy of antibiotics as an essential part of the veterinarians’ toolbox to be used responsibly: as little as possible, as much as necessary.”

IFAH
The International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH) is an organisation representing manufacturers of veterinary medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in both developed and developing countries across five continents. The mission of IFAH is to foster a greater understanding of animal health matters and promote a predictable, science-based regulatory environment that facilitates the supply of innovative and quality animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products into a competitive market place. These products contribute to a healthy and safe food supply as well as a high standard of health and welfare for animals and people.

For further information on IFAH, please visit www.ifahsec.org
For further press information please contact
Kim Hardie, Communications Director
Tel.: +32 2 543 75 75
E-mail: k.hardie@ifahsec.org

A video of the speech given by Juan Ramón Alaix can be viewed on IFAH’s website or IFAH’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ifahsec

The recently published 2011 IFAH annual report provides further detail on the past year’s accomplishments and features articles on the role of the veterinary profession in society, why science-based regulation is vital for the future of a science-driven industry, and a success story on the eradication of rinderpest. The report can be downloaded from IFAH’s website.

Notes for editors

IFAH
The International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH) is an organisation representing manufacturers of veterinary medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in both developed and developing countries across five continents. The mission of IFAH is to foster a greater understanding of animal health matters and promote a predictable, science-based regulatory environment that facilitates the supply of innovative and quality animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products into a competitive market place. These products contribute to a healthy and safe food supply as well as a high standard of health and welfare for animals and people.

For further information on IFAH, please visit www.ifahsec.org

A video of the speech given by Juan Ramón Alaix can be viewed by clicking on the image above or on IFAH’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ifahsec

The report is downloadable here. Hard copies can be requested from the Communications Department (see Who we are, IFAH secretariat).

In parallel, the IFAH website has also been updated with the latest figures from the animal health industry global market review provided courtesy of Vetnosis, a research and consulting firm specialising in global animal health and veterinary medicine. View the 2011 data here.

IFAH holds a limited stock of English copies which can be requested from the Communications Department  – p.barcellona@ifahsec.org.

This intiative is supported by:

• World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
• Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
• French Minsitry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Rural Affairs and Spatial Planning
• French Development Agency
• European Federation for Animal Health and Sanitary Security
• National Federation of Livestock Health Protection Groups (France)
• National Society of Veterinary Technical Associations (France)
• International Federation for Animal Health
• Veterinary Medecines and Reagents Industry Syndicate
• Merial SAS
• National Institute for Agricultural Research (France)
• International Centre for Reaserch and Development of Animal Husbandry in the Sub-humid Zone
• Interstate School of Veterinary Science and Medicine (Senegal)
• Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (Morocco)
• National Institute of Veterinary Medicine (Algeria)
• Institute of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (Tunisia)
• French Agricultural Reaserch Centre for International Development