A workshop of In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET) Programme opens in Jos, Plateau State.

The ISAVET training marks the 3rd workshop Cohort in the series of the training.

Declaring the occasion open, Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), Dr.(Mrs) Maimuna Abdullahi Habib sates that ” The Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) initiative with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Frontline In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET) Programme on the 28th October 2021″

“Since then, the programme has graduated 2 cohorts, who have been technically exposed to epidemiological activities, disease surveillance, prevention and control in line with global best practices. Their skills were sharpened and some of them are currently in the field putting what they have learnt into practice for the benefit of Animal Health and by extension Human Health. Today’s event kickstarts the commencement of the 3rd cohort of ISAVET programme.”

This cohort is unique in composition, being the cohort with the highest enrolment of female veterinarians, an indication of the very important role they play in the Animal Health Service delivery in Nigeria.” Dr. Maimuna added.

Dr. Maimuna while congratulating the Participants, she emphasized that their approach will significantly improve after the training.

” let me congratulate the participants for making the final list and assure them that at the end of this training, your approach to veterinary epidemiology, surveillance and other field activities will never be the same again.”

In the same spirit, Prof. Lami Hanatu Lombin the ISAVET National Coordinator while welcoming participant’s says that “ISAVET is a brainchild of the Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases of the Food and Agriculture Organization (ECTAD-FAO) which is being coordinated by the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development under the office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON).

Prof. Lombin states that “So far, the country has a total of thirty ISAVET trained frontline Veterinarians across twenty-six States and another set of 30 trainees from 17 States are currently in the field as part of their 3 months field training. And by the end of 2022, it is hoped that we will have a total of ninety trained frontline workers covering the thirty-six States and FCT. With the hope to continue training until we get to a critical mass whereby it can impact positively on disease surveillance and reporting in Nigeria. The training is currently skewed towards Veterinarians in the Civil Service Structure-Federal/States. It is however our intention to expand the participation of the training to include Veterinarians in Private Practice and those of the Uniformed Service, Research Institutes and from the Universities.”

In terms of distribution of participants, Prof. Lombin says ” the members of the 3rd cohort of ISAVET were drawn from 17 states of the country and each geopolitical zone is represented. Worthy of note is the composition of the trainees, and unlike in the 1st and 2nd cohorts, the 3rd cohorts are made up of 17 (57%) female trainees and 13 (43%) male trainees. “

The event was climax by the commissioning of the primary Health Animal center, donated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development under the office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON) to the University of Jos Veterinary teaching Hospital.

Other Guests who spoke include the ECTAD country Lead, Dr.Guy Kouame, Director Veterinary Service, (DVS) Plateau State, Dr. Shase’et Sipak Dawat, representative of the Vice Chancellor, University of Jos among others.

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Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria Declares Veterinary Epidemiology Training in Jos…