World Veterinary Day 2020: Contributions of vets celebrated globally on 25 April, this year's theme is 'environmental protection'

World Veterinary Day is observed globally to recognise the contributions of veterinarians in the field of healthcare and medical science. [caption id=“attachment_2404088” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] The welfare of animals is intrinsically related to the well-being of human beings and the ecosystem. Apart from pets, vets also look after cattle and animals kept in zoos. The World Veterinary Association (WVA) started celebrating the day in the year 2000. WVA is the world’s largest family of veterinarians and aims at providing a “common voice” for all the veterinary doctors across the globe. The World Veterinary Day is celebrated annually on the last Saturday of April. This year, it will fall on 25 April. Theme this year The WVA and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) come up with a theme every year to create awareness on the importance of vets. For 2020, the theme is ‘environmental protection for improving animal and human health’. “Veterinarians know that environmental, human and animal health are inextricably linked. Negative changes to our environment will ultimately harm ourselves and the animals in our care,” reads WVA’s message. How is it celebrated Every year, several seminars and meetings are held to discuss new findings and share knowledge. This year, the WVA congress has become virtual owing to the social distancing norms in place to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. The WVA also gives an award to a vet every year for their work related to that year’s theme. Applications for the current year are open. Those working on the effect that the environment has on animals and humans can submit their names on the site.