Paraveterinary Worker News: Building a Stronger Workforce for Animal Healthcare

Paraveterinary workers are the backbone of animal healthcare, and their skills are in high demand. In fact, the number of paraveterinary workers has increased by 15% over the past five years.

Their role is multifaceted, encompassing tasks such as animal care, laboratory testing, and administrative duties. This diverse skillset is essential for providing comprehensive care to animals.

The paraveterinary workforce is also becoming more diverse, with a 20% increase in workers from underrepresented backgrounds over the past decade. This shift is crucial for promoting equity and access to animal healthcare services.

Efforts to build a stronger workforce for animal healthcare are underway, with many organizations offering training programs and certification pathways for paraveterinary workers.

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A recent survey revealed that many emerging and small-scale farmers in South Africa don't use veterinary services, despite owning a third of the country's cattle and sheep.

This lack of veterinary care puts food safety and security at risk.

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A new initiative aims to address this shortage by equipping Animal Health Technicians (AHTs) to provide training and education to farmers about livestock diseases and prevention.

AHTs will also be able to advise farmers on when to seek veterinary care for sick or injured animals.

By doing so, the national herd's health will be improved, ensuring the integrity of animal proteins we consume.

AHTs can now establish primary animal healthcare facilities to offer on-site or mobile consultation services, which must be linked to a physical facility.

These facilities must be registered with the SAVC and comply with minimum standards.

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Education and Training is a crucial aspect of paraveterinary work. The Pacific Community (SPC) has been offering a 16-week para-vet training course to improve the skills and knowledge of animal health and livestock officers in the Pacific region.

The course is designed as a distance-learning program and focuses on animal health and production issues for livestock found in the Pacific, including cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, horses, and poultry. It's a great opportunity for para-vets to gain practical and theoretical knowledge.

The training course is funded by the European Union through the Safe Agricultural Trade Facilitation through Economic Integration in the Pacific (SAFE Pacific) project. This funding has enabled the SPC to provide training to up to 25 animal health and livestock officers from all four of Fiji's divisions.

In addition to the SPC's para-vet training course, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) proposes a range of activities to support the development of veterinary paraprofessional (VPP) capacities. These activities include improving Member recognition and definition of qualified VPPs, assessing and addressing curriculum needs, and developing fit-for-purpose curricula.

WOAH also offers a Curriculum development mission, which includes face-to-face meetings between WOAH experts and educators responsible for curriculum review. This mission helps develop new and improved curricula that are aligned with the required competencies of veterinary paraprofessionals.

Here are some key activities proposed by WOAH to support VPP development:

The veterinary workforce is made up of veterinarians, veterinary paraprofessionals (VPPs), and community animal health workers (CAHWs). These professionals are essential for animal disease surveillance, prevention, and control.

The key stakeholders of the veterinary workforce include veterinarians, VPPs, and CAHWs. Veterinarians are professionals with appropriate education and registration to practice veterinary medicine/science in their country. They work in various settings, including farms, clinics, and laboratories.

VPPs are authorized by the Veterinary Statutory Body to carry out designated tasks under the responsibility and direction of a veterinarian. They support animal health, veterinary public health, and laboratory activities within Veterinary Services. Examples of tasks for VPPs include vaccinating animals, sharing good practices with farmers and fishers, and participating in meat inspection.

CAHWs are individuals selected from their own community and provided with short, initial, or recurring vocational training to perform basic animal health and animal husbandry-related services. They are accountable to a VPP, a veterinarian, or an official and can play a crucial role in disease reporting and sanitary tasks.

WOAH helps Members identify existing gaps in their veterinary workforce and provides tools and services to address them and strengthen the workforce. The Workforce Development Programme (WFD) assesses veterinary workforce needs and creates an enabling environment for a fit-for-purpose workforce.

The WFD has three pillars: workforce assessment and planning, sub-regional and regional awareness-raising workshops, and curriculum development missions. These activities aim to raise awareness of the need for a healthy and resilient veterinary workforce and focus on the regional context and the critical role of VPPs.

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WOAH offers Targeted Support activities to Members, including in-depth support in areas such as veterinary legislation and workforce development. Members can also benefit from the contents of WOAH's online training portal, which offers free resources, activities, and discussions to animal health stakeholders worldwide.

Here are the key stakeholders of the veterinary workforce:

Clear definitions and regulations are crucial for the veterinary workforce. This includes clearly defining the qualifications, training, and prerogatives of each category of professionals.

The Veterinary Statutory Body (VSB) plays a vital role in regulating veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals. It's responsible for licensing and registering authorized professionals.

A competent VSB must be independent from any political or commercial interests. This ensures that regulations are fair and unbiased.

The WOAH Veterinary Legislation Support Programme (VLSP) helps countries review and develop their veterinary practice legislation. This can be done through a Veterinary Legislation Identification Mission and a Veterinary Legislation Agreement.

Countries can access legislative reviews for regulating veterinary paraprofessionals in Africa through links provided.

As a paraveterinary worker, you're likely interested in ways to improve your skills and knowledge. Members can benefit from the workforce development programme by reviewing results of PVS Evaluation/Follow-up reports.

The national Delegate can send an official request to WOAH for Targeted Support, which can include dedicated independent experts and specific dates. This support is available to help Members improve veterinary and VPP education.

WOAH and the Member identify availability of funding, which is an important step in accessing these resources. Over 25 new modules are currently under development on the online training portal, covering areas such as emergency management and leadership in Veterinary Services.

In addition to these resources, Members can also benefit from PVS Evaluation and Gap Analysis missions, as well as the Veterinary Legislation support programme. These activities can provide in-depth support in different areas and contribute to workforce development.