The 21st FAVA Congress Organizing Committee
Chair: Dr. Isao Kurauchi
President of the Japan Veterinary Medical Association

Message from the chair of the 21st FAVA Congress Organizing Committee

We are pleased to announce that the 21st Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) Congress will be held from November 11 (Fri) to 13 (Sun), 2022, at the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk in Fukuoka City in collaboration with the 40th Japan Veterinary Medical Association (JVMA) Annual Veterinary Conference.

The FAVA is a federation of veterinary medical associations from 23 countries in the Asia-Oceania region, established in 1978. The JVMA, as a public interest corporation representing the veterinary community in Japan, has been a member of the FAVA since its establishment and has actively contributed to its activities through international exchanges in veterinary science.

FAVA holds a congress every two years to promote veterinary academic exchange in the region and promote cooperation among veterinarians. The JVMA held the 2nd FAVA Congress in Tokyo in 1980, the 25th World Veterinary Association (WVA) & the 9th FAVA joint Congress in Yokohama in 1995. It is our honor to hold the 21st FAVA Congress in Fukuoka in 2022 after a quarter-century.

The theme of the 21st FAVA Congress is "One Health Approach from Asia." The concept of "One Health" is that human health, animal health, and environmental conservation are indispensable for the sustainable development of the earth. The related sectors should cooperate closely based on the "One for All, All for One" spirit to solve global problems.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 is a zoonosis that likely originated in bats. In addition to investigating the causes of the disease and taking effective countermeasures, establishing a crisis management system based on the One Health concept is an urgent issue to prevent the next outbreak of emerging/reemerging contagious diseases in the future.

By holding the 21st FAVA Congress, the JVMA hopes to promote international communication among veterinarians and spread the One Health concept to people in Asia and worldwide. Then encourage activities by veterinarians and other parties, to make a society where people and animals live in harmony.

We hope that many veterinarians, medical professionals, environmental researchers, and citizens meet in this extraordinary congress to accelerate One Health Approach.