Building infectious disease control competencies of veterinary paraprofessionals in Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda: the story so far.

In low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs), veterinary paraprofessionals (VPPs) serve a vital role for smallholder farmers (SHF) who often lack sufficient access to veterinarians. The “Sustainable Business in Animal Health Service Provision through Training of Veterinary Paraprofessionals” project aims to deliver and evaluate a training model for improving VPP services in LMICs. The project is led by the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) in partnership with Health for Animals and the World Veterinary Association, working with academic partners.

The project is implemented in Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, with the objectives of developing:
1. a competency-based blended learning programme focusing on preventive healthcare and business skills;
2. a country-tailored competency recognition system for VPPs;
3. an enabling business environment using a public-private multi-stakeholder platform.

To develop an evidence base, a mixed methods approach has been used to conduct a needs assessment by analysis of baseline data, existing curricula and consultation with key stakeholders. The consultation has included collecting context relevant information from veterinarians, VPPs and SHFs using a participatory rural appraisal conducted in two project pilot regions per country. The results of these analyses have been used to develop plans for the training program that will begin in the second half of 2022 and be evaluated by an impact assessment. This presentation gives an overview of the project, outlines the results generated so far and highlights challenges and potential solutions for implementing a blended training framework suitable for supporting VPP service development across LMIC settings.