Dr Joseph Abuh, President of the GVMA, made the call at the 51st Annual General Meeting of the Association in Accra.
He stressed that veterinarians were central to building resilient food systems, controlling emerging diseases, and protecting the environment.

Dr Abuh said government policies such as the Food for Ghana Programme and its Backyard Poultry Initiative (nkokor nkitinkiti) held strong potential for boosting productivity and reducing dependence on imported animal products.
However, the programme would not succeed without a robust veterinary workforce and strengthened animal health systems.
Dr Abuh expressed concern over the growing number of trained veterinary doctors, nurses and technicians who had remained unemployed since 2019, despite their critical role in safeguarding food safety and disease prevention.
“We call on the government to prioritise the employment of our ageing and expanding veterinary workforce. Without veterinarians, there can be no sustainable agriculture, no safe food and no effective animal health protection,” he stated.

Dr Abuh urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to fast-track the passage of the long-pending Animal Health Bill, describing it as crucial for modernising veterinary practice and aligning it with contemporary public health standards.

He called for national action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and illegal mining (galamsey), noting that both posed significant threats to human health, animal welfare, water bodies, and food security.
He announced that Ghana would join the global community to commemorate World Veterinary Day 2026 on January 23, under the theme “Veterinarians: Guardians of Food and Health.”

Dr Emmanuel Allegye-Cudjoe, Chief Veterinarian, said the AGM marked more than five decades of progress in veterinary medicine and animal welfare in Ghana.
He noted that the theme for this year, “Resilient Animal Health Systems: The Role of the Veterinarian in Ghana’s Agriculture Transformation and Public Health Protection,” was a call to action for innovation and reforms to place veterinary medicine at the heart of national development.

Allegye-Cudjoes aid that the GVMA’s conference platform had over the years shaped policy engagement and strengthened partnerships aligned with global frameworks such as One Health, food security and sustainable development.

Dr Sherry Johnson, a member of the Association, in a technical presentation, said Ghana’s veterinary systems remained fragile and required urgent modernisation to respond to rising disease threats, climate change and fluid animal movement across borders.
She warned that weak animal health systems undermined productivity, public confidence and national security, citing transboundary diseases such as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and pest of small ruminants as risks that demanded enhanced surveillance and diagnostic capacity.

Dr. Johnson outlined pillars for reform, including strengthening disease surveillance, digitising field reporting, improving veterinary infrastructure, investing in laboratories, and expanding mobile veterinary units for hard-to-reach areas.
She emphasised the need for public-private partnerships, improved incentives for veterinarians in rural communities, and increased government support.
“Ghana’s progress depends on how effectively the veterinary profession is empowered. A resilient animal health system is not just a veterinary agenda…it is a national development priority,” she noted.

The 51st AGM brought together veterinary professionals nationwide to discuss policy, public health, animal welfare and professional development as the Association marked more than five decades of service to Ghana.