The Southern African Society for Veterinary Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine hosted its 17th Annual SASVEPM Congress at the Coastlands Hotel in Umhlanga Kwazulu-Natal during 21-23 August 2019. We achieved record attendance this year with just over 300 delegates attending!
As part of our 2019 programme we also be hosted a pre-congress training workshop in partnership with the South African Field Epidemiology Training Programme (SAFETP) and the University of Pretoria during 19-20 August 2019. The course was designed to provide veterinarians and para-veterinarians with basic epidemiological skills and an inter-disciplinary approach to deal with complex animal health and public health issues.
Thank you to our key note speaker, Dr Sascha al Dahouk (a global expert on human brucellosis and an epidemiologist), as well as all our presenting authors, for contributing to the success of the 2019 congress.
Congratulations to the winners of the Willie Ungerer Memorial Prize for Epidemiology which was awarded to: Prof Geoff Fosgate (2018 winner) from the Faculty of Veterinary Science of Onderstepoort and Prof Cheryl McCrindle (2019 winner) from the School of Health Systems and Public Health of the University of Pretoria.
Well done to this year’s winner of the Animal Health Technician Prize for outstanding work which was awarded to Odirele T.L. Ramafoko for his work on Bovine Genital Campylobacteriosis and Trichomoniasis of Cattle in Mafikeng, North West Province.
At the congress, four new members were elected to the executive committee and we welcome Dr Mohamed Sirdar, Dr Noluvuyo Magadla, Dr Sikhumbuzo Mbizeni and Dr Wonderful Shumba to the committee. Please look at the committee’s page for a look at who is involved on the executive.