World Veterinary Day celebrates veterinarians as essential health workers

In addition to helping animals, an essential part of the veterinary profession is protecting and improving the health of people and their communities, according to the announcement for World Veterinary Day 2024.

The World Veterinary Association (WVA) and Health for Animals announced that this year’s theme is “Veterinarians are essential health workers.” The 2024 World Veterinary Day will be held on April 27 and is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of veterinarians to the health of animals, people, and the environment.

“Veterinarians’ competencies must be regarded as an essential and integral part of health at large,” according to this year’s award announcement. “The application of veterinary science contributes not only to animal health and well-being but also to human’s physical, mental and social wellbeing.”

The WVA created World Veterinary Day in 2000 as an annual celebration of the veterinary profession, taking place on the last Saturday of April.

Since 2019, the WVA has partnered with Health for Animals, the global animal health industry association, on the World Veterinary Day Award.

The recipient of the World Veterinary Day Award will receive $5,000 for best promoting the annual theme. This can include local campaigns, educational seminars for the public, media campaigns, new research, and more.

The AVMA won the award in 2021 for the theme, “Veterinarian response to the COVID-19 crisis” after developing an online COVID-19 resource center that was available to veterinarians around the world.

Learn more about World Veterinary Day 2024 and the World Veterinary Day Award on the WVA website.

A version of this story appears in the April 2024 print issue of JAVMA