Prof Moritz van Vuuren, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, was recently honoured with an award by the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Association of South Africa (AVCASA) for service to society and the environment.

This award is bestowed upon individuals who have made valuable contributions to the society or the environment during their careers. Prof van Vuuren is not only an extremely knowledgeable individual, but also an exceptional advocate and analyst in the field of the sustainable use of antimicrobial drugs in animal health.

He serves on various national and international forums that are focused on addressing the issue of antimicrobial resistance. He has been a great asset to the South African Animal Health Association (SAAHA) and a voice of caution and reason. Prof van Vuuren is the Director: Food Safety and Security Portfolio of the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), serves on the Medicines Control Council and the Ministerial Advisory Committee for Antimicrobial Resistance, and is Co-chair of the South African Antibiotic Stewardship programme.

In their official citation for the award, AVCASA emphasised that it was incumbent upon the organisation to recognise a person of Prof van Vuuren's quality as 'a buffer against irresponsible use of the one class of drugs that saved humankind and its animals from early microbial-induced mortalities'.