March 8, 2023

 

Ceva Santé Animale calls to speed up development of critical new vaccines at VIV Asia 2023

 

 

Ceva Santé Animale, (Ceva) is participating in this year's VIV Asia show in Bangkok, Thailand.

 

On March 7, the "One Health" company held the "Ceva Innovation Day" pre-opening symposium, featuring a keynote speech from president and chief executive officer Marc Prikazsky. His presentation focused on the critical need to move from conceptual thinking to concrete execution – through innovation to address the major challenges facing the world.

 

The Ceva Innovation Day brought together a range of experts from the animal health industry. In his opening speech, in front of an audience of 600 guests, Prikazsky underlined the need to collectively take up three major challenges.

 

The threat of climate change

 

Ceva expresses commitment – in line with its business purpose - to "drive innovative health solutions for all animals, contributing to the future of our diverse planet." The company has, for several years, worked with organisations dedicated to protecting the living biodiversity, with a specific focus on wildlife: from koalas in Australia to the Amsterdam Island albatross in the remote Pacific.

 

As the United Nations is warning that up to one million of plant and animal species are at risk of extinction, Ceva recently launched the Ceva Wildlife Research Fund, to focusing on the development of health solutions for wildlife.

 

Preparing to prevent the next pandemic by focusing on zoonoses

 

75% of emerging human infectious diseases are estimated to come from animals. Ceva therefore supports the call from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedeness (CEPI) backed by the G7 and G20 for a shift of paradigm to compress the development time of vaccines.

 

The current avian flu pandemic, which recently spread to mammals and a few humans, provides a concrete example of the need to speed things up.

 

Vectormune AI, which is a reference vaccine for the control of HPAI H5, has been deployed and registered in a large number of countries, including in Asia and is recognised for its cross-clade protection and capacity to reduce the virus transmission. This vaccine should become a cornerstone of HPAI control and biosecurity.

 

The extraordinary collective scientific and public health achievement in rolling out COVID-19 vaccines pointed the way to what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work effectively together.

 

The need for safe and sustainable food systems

As the global population heads to nine billion, there is a need for more resilient food systems that guarantee food security, are adapted to and mitigate the effects of climate change, thus ensuring no further harm to a rich biodiversity.

 

In a recently published sustainability report commissioned by Health for Animal (Global Animal Health Association), Oxford Analytica estimated that 1.6 billion people could be fed with the animal production that is lost each year due to diseases.

 

In addition, this growing population does not have equitable access to quality animal protein. Malnutrition, which is particularly prevalent in Asia, has a major impact on the development of children. This is why Ceva has created the CourFuture programme to fight against the devastating effects of stunting by creating awareness on the benefits of poultry protein (eggs and chickens).

 

"Innovation is a key driver of progress and is essential to addressing the global challenges we face today," Prikazsky said. "We are committed to driving innovation forward in a more sustainable, holistic and collaborative way. However, new ways of execution are needed. We must rethink the way we work together, across sectors and borders, to create a more sustainable and collaborative future for all people, animals and our planet."

 

The Ceva Innovation Day symposium provided a platform for industry leaders to share their insights and innovations in animal health. The event highlighted the importance of taking a One Health approach, which recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, in driving innovation and creating sustainable solutions for the benefit of all.

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At VIV Asia, Ceva showcases its innovative solutions for the prevention and treatment of animal diseases, with a strong focus on poultry and swine. The company also presents its range of vaccines, pharmaceuticals and innovative equipment, which are designed to help veterinarians and farmers improve the health and well-being of their animals.

 

"VIV Asia is a great platform for us to engage with our customers, partners and stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region," Prikazsky added. "We are proud to showcase our latest innovations, share our knowledge and expertise, and learn from their feedback as we work together to meet the challenges of animal health and welfare."

 

- Ceva