Looking Back on Cameroon’s 1st Veterinary Symposium (VetSympoCamer 2024): A Historic Milestone for Veterinary Medicine
From August 1 to 3, 2024, at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s veterinary community wrote an unprecedented page in its history. As the organization that coordinated this event from end to end, One Health Innovative Solutions (OHIS) is proud to share this report with you.
A Founding Event for the Veterinary Profession in Cameroon
For three days, the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé hosted the very first edition of Cameroon’s Veterinary Symposium (VetSympoCamer 2024), bringing together more than 400 professionals veterinarians, veterinary technicians and nurses, animal scientists, academics and researchers, institutional decision-makers, students and sector partners.
Held under the theme “Promoting excellence in veterinary medicine by transforming veterinary training for a sustainable future,” the event took place under the High Patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP) and the sponsorship of the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA).
Far more than a simple gathering, VetSympoCamer 2024 provided a privileged space for exchange to strengthen the ties between training institutions and field practitioners, firmly rooted in the One Health approach the one that connects animal health, human health and the health of ecosystems.
The Inaugural Lecture: The Veterinarian at the Heart of Import Substitution
A highlight of the opening ceremony, the inaugural lecture was delivered by Dr. TAIGA, Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, on the theme “The Role of the Veterinarian in Import-Substitution Policy.”
His address recalled the strategic weight of the rural sector in the national economy the country’s leading employer, accounting for nearly 50% of the active population and examined the role of the veterinarian along three complementary axes: animal health protection and welfare, advisory support to farmers and livestock operations, and veterinary health inspection for consumer protection. A clear message emerged: strengthening the initial and continuing training of veterinarians is essential if Cameroon is to move toward greater food self-sufficiency, particularly in the milk and fish value chains.
Three Days of Rich and Diverse Scientific Programming
The programme was structured around several complementary components, designed to combine scientific rigour with field applications.
Continuing Education and Practical Workshops
A series of interactive sessions, led by renowned experts, covered themes of direct relevance to practitioners: health audits of poultry farms, vaccination in poultry production, management of veterinary clinics and pharmacies, aquaculture biosecurity, financing of agro-pastoral activities, prophylaxis strategies against canine rabies, and community-based surveillance of zoonotic diseases.
CamVetEd 2024 The Congress on Veterinary Education
The first edition of the Congress on Veterinary Education in Cameroon (CamVetEd 2024) brought together six training institutions from across the sub-region: the School of Veterinary Sciences and Medicine of the University of Ngaoundéré, the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine of the University of Buea, the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine of the University of the Mountains, as well as the Centres for Zootechnical, Veterinary and Fisheries Training of Foumban, Jakiri and Maroua. Discussions focused on quality assurance, the alignment of training with employment, curriculum harmonization, the integration of digital tools, and the pathways bridging para-veterinary schools and veterinary medicine schools.
The Scientific Symposium
Under the theme “Contribution and Challenges of Animal Health and Production to Sustainable Development Goals in Cameroon,” this component gathered oral presentations and panels around five sub-themes: import substitution, emerging and re-emerging animal diseases, sustainable animal production, policies and regulations, and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The exchanges notably addressed the eradication of PPR (peste des petits ruminants), the transformation of Cameroon’s dairy production, and the valorization of fisheries resources.
Exhibition, Innovation and Networking
A dedicated exhibition area allowed pharmaceutical and veterinary equipment companies to showcase their latest innovations. Networking sessions, B2B meetings and a gala evening facilitated exchanges and the creation of new professional synergies.
VetSympoCamer 2024 in Numbers
- 3 days of intensive scientific programming
- 400+ participants from every branch of the profession
- 6 veterinary and para-veterinary training institutions mobilized
- 44 poster presentations delivered
- 1st national edition, with a strong sub-regional dimension
OHIS’s Commitment: End-to-End Coordination
As a partner organization at the heart of this symposium’s design and implementation, One Health Innovative Solutions (OHIS) deployed its expertise across the entire value chain of the event, around four pillars:
- Design and planning concept notes, visual identity, partner mobilization, technical meetings and the event’s master plan.
- Scientific coordination submission forms, calls for contributions, and rigorous management of abstracts in coordination with the scientific committee.
- On-site activity coordination logistics, room configuration, participant welcome, and real-time monitoring of the programme.
- 360° communication before, during and after the event, to maximize its visibility, impact and legacy.
This end-to-end involvement illustrates our ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder scientific events with the rigour and creativity required to leave a lasting institutional legacy.
Our Thanks: A Collective Success
The success of VetSympoCamer 2024 is, above all, the fruit of an exceptional collective effort. At One Health Innovative Solutions, we wish to express our deep gratitude.
Our thanks go first and foremost to all the members of the organizing, scientific, communication, logistics and various commission committees, for their unfailing availability, their commitment and their decisive involvement in the success of this event.
A special word of thanks goes to the School of Veterinary Sciences and Medicine (ESMV) and to the University of Ngaoundéré, whose institutional leadership was the cornerstone of this symposium.
We also extend our appreciation to the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP) and the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), for their invaluable collaboration, patronage and sponsorship, which gave the event its full institutional and national reach.
Finally, this event would not have been possible without the trust and support of our sponsors and partners:
- Diamond Sponsors: University of Ngaoundéré, ESMV, AFROHUN, the Rabies Control and Elimination (RACE) Project and the Zoonoses Programme.
- Gold Sponsors: CAPHAVET and One Health Innovative Solutions (OHIS).
- Silver Sponsors: Veto Prestations S.A.S, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ceva Santé Animale, Equiprovet Sarl and our hospitality partners.
- Bronze Sponsors: FAO, Brainworks, LANAVET, Septentrion Vétérinaire, the Compagnie Fermière Camerounaise (CFC), FeraviT3F–Digital, Boissons du Cameroun, Tonus, Afrik Saveurs, CanalVet and Agrisave.
Our gratitude also extends to all our institutional partners including the National Order of Veterinarians of Cameroon (ONVC), the University of the Mountains, ATASPAC, ESPV, 2A2E-V and WVEPAH as well as to all the participants who brought these three days to life.
Toward a Second Edition
VetSympoCamer 2024 was only a first step. By laying the foundations of a landmark national forum for scientific exchange, professional dialogue and the strengthening of veterinary training, this inaugural edition paves the way for future gatherings. OHIS remains fully committed to supporting this momentum and to contributing to an animal health sector that is stronger, more sustainable and fully integrated into the One Health approach.