The Seventh International Conference on Mycobacterium Bovis was opened yesterday, 7 June 2022, by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.
The event is being held in NUI Galway from 7 to 10 June.
Focusing on the importance of collaboration in tackling the challenge of the infectious diseas, the Minister said that, “Bovine TB is a ‘wicked’ problem, and deep collaboration, where everyone plays his or her role, is crucial to successfully tackling and eradicating this disease. Here in Ireland, we are putting that policy into action.”
“Our TB Stakeholder Forum’s collaborative model is yielding real and impactful progress – incidence rates are decreasing steadily, and farmers, vets, scientists, economic operators and my own department all have vital roles to play. The journey ahead is challenging, but conferences like these, and the value we place on the scientific approach, make it possible to travel that journey successfully.”
Welcoming over 350 delegates to the event in Galway, he also commented that, “For the next four days this conference will bring together scientists, policy makers, veterinarians, and industry leaders from around the world. Speakers and delegates from 30 countries will share knowledge and expertise, playing a vital role in controlling and eradicating a disease that gives rise to real worries for farm families and takes a huge toll on productivity.”
“For an eradication programme to succeed, good policy making must be informed by strong scientific evidence. It is the ‘why and what’ questions of science that provide a foundation for the ‘how’ of policy, and although control and eradication of bovine tuberculosis is challenging, it is not impossible.”
For more information on the Mycobacterium Bovis conference, see here.