(contenu disponible en anglais uniquement)
New paravets training in the Marshall Islands to boost animal health and livestock development
The Marshall Islands has taken a significant step forward in improving animal healthcare and livestock management, with 12 trainees successfully completing the paravet training programme.Organised by the Pacific Community (SPC) through the European Union-funded Safe Agricultural Trade Facilitation through Economic Integration in the Pacific (SAFE Pacific) project, the training was delivered in partnership with the Australia Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Equipped with professional skills and knowledge, these new paravets are now prepared to deliver vital animal healthcare services and production advice to farming communities in the country.
The programme concluded with a summer school held in the Marshall Islands from November 4 to 8, 2024, which included intensive practical and theoretical revision sessions to prepare for the final examination.
During the summer school, trainees participated in hands-on fieldwork: learning the safe handling of animals, clinical diagnosis, treatment, and sampling techniques for chickens and pigs.
Paravets provide basic animal health care and give advice to farming communities where veterinarians are scarce or absent. As the eyes and ears of veterinarians, they are also trained to care for sick animals.
Amongst the successful trainees were livestock workers, quarantine officers, nursery workers, crop production officers, forestry personnel, and livestock technicians.
Chief of Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce Randon Jack said, “ For years, RMI had only one certified Para-Veterinarian, or a veterinary paraprofessional. Unfortunately, the paravet had passed on and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce recognised the need to have certified para-vets for livestock animals in the country.”
“Like many countries in the Pacific, RMI does not have a local veterinarian for livestock and companion animals. Therefore, I hope that having local certified paravets will put us a step closer to having veterinarians and maintain as well as improve the well-being of our livestock,” he said.
SPC’s Pacific Heads of Veterinary and Animal Production Services Network Coordinator Elenoa Salele said the successful completion of the paravet training by the 12 trainees marks a significant milestone for animal health in the Marshall Islands.
“This achievement not only addresses the immediate need for certified para-veterinarians but also lays the foundation for strengthening veterinary services and enhancing food security in the region. I am confident these new paravets will play a transformative role in improving animal health and welfare across RMI,” she said.
Introduced in 2003, the paravet training was developed by SPC and has been implemented in 15 countries. The course was designed as a distance-learning programme focusing on animal health and production issues for livestock found in the Pacific, including cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, horses, and poultry. The paravet training programme in each country is modified to suit the country’s context in terms of the livestock present, based on requests from their respective Ministry of Agriculture before the training is conducted.
RMI’s successful participants will formally receive their certification at a graduation ceremony planned for later this year.
SAFE Pacific provides targeted assistance to support small Pacific Island countries in increasing export capacity and improving economic growth. Through this work, the initiative helps protect local industries and the agriculture sector from exotic and invasive threats. SAFE Pacific is implemented across 15 Pacific countries including Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, PNG, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Contact
Onorina Saukelo, Communications and Visibility Officer, Land Resources Division (LRD), Pacific Community (SPC) | [email protected]
