NOAH Chair Cat Sayer says ‘come and join us’ at 30th anniversary dinner
Catherine (Cat) Sayer has been re-elected as Chair of NOAH (National Office of Animal Health) for 2016, following this year’s AGM in London on 25 May.
Brought up on a hill farm in Wensleydale, Yorkshire and with broad experience across the key animal medicine market sectors of companion animal, ruminants, equine and swine, Cat is currently Subsidiary Business Manager UK & Ireland, Hipra UK and Ireland. Keeping an active connection with farming, she still breeds pedigree Dalesbred sheep.
Speaking at the NOAH’s 30th Anniversary Dinner held in London on 25 May, Cat Sayer praised the vision of those who had set up and led NOAH during its thirty years, whose work and commitment had helped to mould it into the voice of the sector it is today. NOAH’s representation of the manufacturers of animal health products has always covered over 90% of the UK animal medicines marketplace, she continued, and embraces smaller UK manufacturers to large multinationals, across all species and medicines of all classifications.
Cat Sayer underlined the importance of regulation in the sector, ensuring that a full range of safe and effective medicines are available to treat animals, maintaining the high standards of welfare that the British public expects. “EU regulations on veterinary medicines and medicated feed are currently under review,” she explained, “NOAH continues to ensure input to this process from our sector’s perspective.”
Ms Sayer reiterated NOAH’s welcome to the O’Neill Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, published recently. “We fully endorse its proposal for incentives to develop innovative new treatments and better diagnostics – but these must include the animal health sector, so that animal medicines continue to be available to treat the diseases that prescribers, farmers and pet owners encounter. Improving the availability and usage of vaccines, which is also proposed, can reduce the need for antibiotics too.
“In the UK consumers both encourage and expect high standards of animal welfare in food production and pet owners also want prompt and effective care. Animals need antibiotics when necessary and vets need a range of options to choose from to ensure that they can treat certain illnesses appropriately and responsibly to help prevent pain and suffering,” she stated. “NOAH supports the need for improved data on antibiotic usage to be available and allow for increased analysis of which antibiotics are being used, where and in what species. We are working with the livestock species sector groups, who are already developing plans to meet this need and continue to play an active role as a member of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance, more widely known by its acronym RUMA,” she added.
At the Dinner, she announced that NOAH welcomes further members from beyond its core membership of animal medicines manufacturers.
She explained: “Through all of the changes that have taken place over the past 30 years in our sector, NOAH has remained true to its original mission, which is why it can continue to ‘support the future of animal health’. Building on the firm foundations established during this time, we want to continue to ensure that the diversity of our membership fully reflects our sector as it continues to evolve. From its achievements over the past 30 years we can see our sector would be the poorer without NOAH. With this in mind, and thinking about the services our association provides, we would encourage other companies across the broader animal health sector to consider the benefits NOAH membership could offer them.
“We look forward to continuing to grow and build upon the successes NOAH has had to date in the 30 years to come”, she said.
