Overseas Association
On this page you can find out about the Overseas Association and its relationship with the British Veterinary Association (BVA)
About
Run under the auspices of the BVA Overseas Group, the Overseas Association is an informally structured networking group of veterinary surgeons, students, nurses and others who have an interest in overseas veterinary-related activities.
As well as forming a core of expertise, members provide support and advice to others. Regular updates and notices are circulated to members by email. We also produce an Overseas Newsletter.
Meetings and outcomes
We try to hold a meeting at least once a year, usually at BVA Congress and sometimes linking up with the annual World Association for Transport Animal Welfare and Studies (TAWS) workshop.
To highlight how vets and veterinary science can have a global impact the Overseas Group organised a full day’s programme at BVA Congress 2011. We explored current issues concerning livestock and global food security, veterinary involvement in disaster relief and management, as well as holding a session celebrating 100 BVA overseas travel grants. BVA members can download the presentations and MP3s from these sessions.
We produce presentations and reports
The overseas session at BVA Congress 2010 in Glasgow focussed on ‘Improving the livelihoods of farmers in resource-poor communities’. Sarah Cleaveland talked about how researchers from the UK and Tanzania are developing effective strategies for controlling foot-and-mouth disease (see summary or presentation) in Africa and Steve Sloan explained how the Scottish-based NGO, GALVmed, works to improve livelihoods in developing countries (see summary or presentation).
- presentation from the Congress 2009 session entitled Working together to help deliver animal health services overseas where the speakers were Dr S Abdul Rahman (CVA), Dr Christie Peacock (Farm Africa) and Stephen Blakeway (Donkey Sanctuary)
- presentation from the Congress 2008 session entitled Human/Animal Interface – the veterinary role within international development
- presentation from the Congress 2007 session entitled Vets in the Wider World
- TAWS/Overseas Association seminar report from April 2007
- we have also joined up with other organisations, for example, in 2005 we held a successful meeting with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) on post conflict and disaster reconstruction - you can read a report of this meeting.
Please note: while these presentations may be quoted from they cannot be reprinted in full without the permission of the authors and the BVA.
Contact the Overseas Association
The BVA Overseas Group co-ordinates the Overseas Association’s communication.
If you are interested in contacting or joining this informal group contact Helena Cotton, helenac@bva.co.uk