Professor Moritz van Vuuren from South Africa is a keen supporter of our CE work in Africa and is one of our most popular speakers. We thank him very much for his commitment to veterinary education.
Prof. Moritz van Vuuren
Could you introduce yourself to WSAVA members?
I am an alumnus of the Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa. The Onderstepoort campus is situated about 15km outside the city of Tshwane, and the name Onderstepoort (which literally means lower (mountain) pass refers to the name of the farm on which the campus was developed.
The first third of my veterinary career was spent in mixed private practice but I always had a desire to work as a wildlife veterinarian. When I qualified in the 1970s and unlike today, career opportunities in this area were sadly few and far between. In the 1980s I moved into academia to specialize in microbiology/infectious diseases which I envisaged would bring me as close as I could get to working in the wildlife domain. It was a game changer for me.
Could you tell us a little about your day job?
I retired three years ago as Emeritus Professor in Microbiology but still remain active as a consultant for a number of local and international organisations. My current activities are focused on food safety and security and medicines control, with the emphasis on resistance to antibiotics. I am:
- A member of the permanent Working Group on Antimicrobial Resistance of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
- A member of the Pharmaceutical Stewardship Working Group of the World Veterinary Association
- A director of the Food Safety and Food Security Portfolio of the South African Veterinary Council
- A member of the South African Ministerial Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance
- Joint Chair of the South African Antibiotic Stewardship Programme
What do you enjoy most about your activities?
I enjoy the intersectoral nature of the work which implies that I interact with scientists, professionals and regulators who are involved in a One Health approach to food safety, food security and control of antimicrobial resistance. I also enjoy my semi-retired status which affords me the opportunity to work in my own time and pace but still have lots of time for other pursuits.
How did you first become involved with the WSAVA CE program?
Dr Lawson Cairns, Africa regional coordinator for the WSAVA CE program, read an article I wrote for the news magazine of the South African Veterinary Association entitled Antibiotic Resistance – From Awareness to Accountability. He approached me to discuss the possibility of putting together a full-day CE program with the emphasis on One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance. We have developed a great collaboration.
How many countries have you visited and do any particular highlights spring to mind?
We started our African CE in June last year and have so far presented the program in five countries. The venues included Livingstone in Zambia, Lilongwe in Malawi, Gaborone in Botswana, Maputo in Moçambique, and Arusha in Tanzania.
I was particularly pleased when the Malawian Small Animal Veterinary Association took the initiative to invite the entire final year class to the CE day. We should encourage WSAVA member countries to follow this example. In addition, in Moçambique, we were joined by veterinarians from two countries when colleagues from Eswatini joined as a result of the close proximity of the two countries.
What have you learned from teaching so many veterinarians?
Travelling in Africa is an enjoyable experience. African veterinarians are friendly and helpful and I have experienced their eagerness to learn and improve their veterinary knowledge and skills. They have great appreciation for the support they get from the WSAVA, as the economic realities on the African continent do not lend itself to this kind of activity without outside assistance.