Ghana, March 20, GNA-Ghana's Veterinary Officer with the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Dr. Richard Suu-Ire has been elected as the president of Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA).

Dr. Suu-Ire succeeded Dr. Robin Yarrow of Fiji who served as president for a four-term period and that moves the office from Fiji to Ghana. A release issued and signed by the Dr. Kwasi Darkwa, President of Ghana Veterinary Medical Association said Dr. Suu-Ire was elected at the just ended Executive Committee Meeting held in Barbados. He is wildlife epidemiologist of the Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and would also serve a four-year term from 2008-2012.

Dr. Suu-Ire, who hails from Brifoh in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region was, before his new appointment the immediate West Africa Regional Representative.

By this appointment, Ghana will host the fifth Pan-Commonwealth Veterinary Conference.

He was a product of Kishenev Agricultural Institute, USSR Royal Veterinary College Institute of Zoology, and University of Kent at Canterbury, U.K and had participated in many certificate-training courses both locally and internationally. Dr Suu-Ire is currently collaborating with University of Cambridge and ZSL researching into viral zoonoses of West African fruit bats.