Colonel (Retired) Dr Paul van der Merwe

Dr Paul van der Merwe is a veterinarian {BVSc; BVSc(Hons)}, a wildlife specialist {MMedVet(Fer)} and hold diplomas in Senior and Home Owners Association Management. He joined the South African Defence Force in 1986 and progressed through the ranks to be promoted to Colonel in 2004. Before retiring in March 2022, he served as the Director of Animal Health for the South African National Defence Force. He was a member of the Transformation Steering Committee of the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) and managed primary health care in the SAMHS for four years. He chaired the ICMM’s Veterinary Technical Commission for ten years. He currently serves as the President of the South African Veterinary Association(SAVA) and chairs the SAVA’s Disaster Management/One Health and Congress Organizing Committees. He is the Director of One Health Consulting (OHCON) and consults for various international and national organizations. He is married to a computer programmer, currently the Editor of VetNews, and has two daughters, a veterinarian and a wildlife forensic geneticist.