Animal health: Switzerland collaborates, innovates and acts…

At the Conference of Cantonal Veterinarians on 16 June the Federal Office of Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs adopted the new Strategy SSA 2022+.

Animal health in Switzerland is important, very important: for the well-being of the animals themselves, the protection of humans from disease and the sustainable production of food.
At the Conference of Cantonal Veterinarians on 16 June 2021, the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine adopted the new Strategy for Animal Health in Switzerland 2022+.
This defines the objectives and priorities for actively preparing for the challenges in the field of animal health together with all stakeholders.
The Swiss Animal Health Strategy 2022+ (SES 2022+), developed by the USAV together with the cantonal veterinarians, is based on the strategy 2010+, which was drawn up more than ten years ago, and continues the priorities defined then.

Biodiversity of Switzerland’s agricultural land is surveyed

Prevention, preparedness and control of all new animal diseases

The main pillars of the strategy are prevention, crisis preparedness and the subsequent control of emerging animal diseases, not forgetting international collaboration and close links with science.
Infectious diseases and zoonoses, infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animal to human and vice versa, continue to be of great importance and are considered even more so in the One Health perspective.
The One Health approach is synonymous with collaboration between human medicine, veterinary medicine and environmental sciences. Not least, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how strongly interconnected human, animal and environmental health are.

Switzerland, less hindrance to the supply of veterinary medicines

Digitization for data collection and analysis is necessary

In the interests of animal health, optimum use should also be made of the possibilities of digitalisation, especially data collection and analysis.
In order to safeguard animal health in the long term, all stakeholders must continue to work closely together in the future under the motto “collaborate – innovate – act”.
The SSA 2022+ will be implemented with involved partners beginning in 2022.
Together, plans will be developed for the medium- and long-term implementation of the various fields of action.
Further information on the Swiss Animal Health Strategy 2022+ is available on the website of the USAV.

Switzerland and six other EU countries together for the Nutri-Score