Speakers and delegates from more than 30 countries will descend on Galway today (Tuesday, June 7) for the start of a four-day conference that focusses on bovine tuberculosis (TB).

The seventh M. bovis 2022 event features a diverse range of speakers from countries where different types and stages of TB control/eradication programmes are in operation.

The conference – due to take place in June 2020 but paused due to the global pandemic – will be officially opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.

It is organised by a group of volunteers comprised of retired and serving members of staff from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and personnel from the Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (CVERA) at University College Dublin.

Commenting on the event, which comprises lectures, panel discussions, and parallel sessions, and which is expected to attract more than 300 attendees, the minister said:

“This is truly an international event. 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,” he said.

Focussing on the importance of collaboration in tackling the challenge of bovine TB, the minister added:

“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.”

He said here, in Ireland, that policy is being put 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,” he said.

While the journey ahead is challenging, he said, conferences like the one taking place in Galway, and the value we place on the scientific approach, make it possible to travel that journey successfully.

The international M. bovis 2022 conference is being held at the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway from June 7-10.