Where there is no conventional veterinary health delivery services what are the capabilities of community animal health workers?

摘要

Livestockareamajorassetforruralhouseholdsthroughoutthedevelopingworldandareincreasinglyregardedasameansofreducingpoverty.However,manyruralareasarecharacterizedbylimitedornoaccessibilitytoveterinaryservices.SincetheliberalizationofanimalhealthservicesinTanzaniaintheearly1990s,community-basedanimalhealthworkers(CAHWs)havebecomeanimportantalternativeanimalhealthdeliverychannelinthecountry'smarginalareas.However,professionalveterinarypractitioners,academicianshavequestionedtheeffectivenessofCAHWprogrammesinanimalhealthservicedelivery.ThisarticledescribesanassessmentofthetechnicalcompetenceofCAHWsinSimanjirodistrict,Tanzania,whichwasconductedduringtheperiodofMaytoOctober2010.From88listedCAHWs,60participatedinthestudyandwereindividuallyassessedfor5keytechnicalcompetencies.Thesewereabilitytokeepveterinaryrelatedrecords,knowledgeofdiseaseclinicalsigns,abilitytomatchdrugswithsuspecteddisease,drugdosageandacaricidecomputation.Evaluationofcompetencewasbasedonthreeattributesnamelycorrectness,inconsistenciesandnotkeeping/knowingordoing.Basedonthisformalassessment,themajority(over60%)oftheCAHWswerejudgedtobecompetentinkeepingproperdrugrecords,providingcorrectdiseasediagnosisandcorrectlymatchingthedrugswithdiagnosis.ThemaintechnicalweaknessesoftheCAHWswerepoorandinconsistenciesofdrugsandacaricidedosagecomputation.Thestudyrevealedthatifadequatelytrainedandsupervised,CAHWsarecapableandmaycontributetowarddeliveringanimalhealthservicesinunderservedareas.WerecommendsthattrainingpackagesforCAHWsbedesignedinaparticipatorymannerandexpandedtoincludenotonlytheidentification,diagnosis,andtreatmentofcommondiseases,butalsohandlingandtheuseofveterinarydrugs.PolicyattentionisalsoneededtoenhancetheparticipationofCAHWsinanimalhealthservicedeliveryandtoappropriatelyintegratetheiractivitiesintotheexistingformalanimalhealthdeliverysysteminTanzania.