Tree Of Life For Animals

This information will be collated and summarized along with records from the clinic currently held at the hospital for villagers. Once analysis is complete, further discussion with the communities will be held to decide if a CAHW scheme is appropriate, practical and sustainable. The long-term aim is to create self-sufficiency amongst the villagers in basic veterinary care.

All modes of transport are used to get to the TOLFA hospital

Since the 1980s various organizations have established programmes involving ‘paravets’ in remote areas where livestock are highly important but lack of veterinary services are available. Community participation as an approach to rural development was also developed around this time and methods of data collection, learning and facilitation methods.

A number of impact assessments have been carried out showing positive results for these schemes in improving productivity in the areas. These include a significant reduction in diseases treated by the CAHWs compared to diseases which were not treated by them. The communities perceived the benefits as being a visible reduction in animal disease and mortality and an associated increase in income.

(Participatory impact assessment of the Save the Children USA community-based animal health project, Dollo Ado and Dollo Bay, Somali National Regional State, Ethiopia. Institutional and Policy Support Team, AU, 2002)

The first stage will be an initial assessment of the animal health situation in the area. Initially I intend to review clinic records in order to get a better idea of common problems, seasonality of problems and current treatments used. I hope this will also enable me to gain more knowledge of indigenous livestock and review the strengths and weaknesses of the clinic as one of the veterinary care options that already exists.

Administering medicines at TOLFAs daily village clinic

I will then carry out surveys in each of the 6 villages. This will take the form of semi-structured interviews, participatory exercises and focus groups. The aim of this is to understand the most important livestock health problems from the perspective of livestock keepers. However in order to be able to make an assessment, it will also be necessary to collect background information regarding income, assets, labour and contribution of animals to livelihood.

Camel suffering from anorexia

The information will be obtained using a variety of participatory methods that have been used previously in the design of CAHW schemes. These include exercises such as participatory mapping, ethnoveterinary interview guides, progeny history, pair-wise ranking of livestock problems, livestock disease scoring and seasonal calendars of livestock diseases and disease vectors.

This information will then be collated and summarized in a report. By doing this whilst still in India, it’ll be possible to follow up any findings as and when needed.

Villager and his sick goat kid that had been given the local treatment for diarrhoea - kerosene!

Once analysis is complete, further discussion with the local communities will take place to decide if a CAHW scheme is appropriate, practical and sustainable. The key questions I hope to be able to answer are: Are animal health problems a major constraint to the livestock owners, what are the main animal health problems that need to be addressed, what are the practical considerations for establishing a project and how would a CAHW service be able to continue in the long term.

Abi examining a sick camel under Dr Ashoks guidance

Funding for the research

Abi has been awarded grants from both the BVA Overseas Travel Grants and Harry Steele-Bodger Scholarship to enable her to carry out her research.

Read an article in the BVA Overseas Newsletter (which downloads as a .pdf)