PFD's work in veterinary health: Bosnia & Herzegovina | Cambodia

In developing economies, animal husbandry is one of the largest single sectors of economic activity. Raising animals for personal consumption as well as trade is an essential activity for even the most small-scale of farmers.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH), livestock production makes up approximately 50% of overall agricultural production, or about 6% of Gross Domestic Product. This share is significantly lower than was to be found before the war. Bosnia & Herzegovina is currently a meat-deficit nation, requiring significant imports to meet demand.

As is the case in many other sectors of economic activity in BiH, rehabilitation and revitalization of the livestock sector after the war (1992-95) was complicated by the fact that, first, state-level institutions had to be built. While the BiH State Veterinary Law was adopted in 2002, there is still a need to harmonize border control policies for livestock entering the country.

Recognizing the risk that diseased animals could enter the country, and the damage this could bring to both animal and public health, Partners for Development is working with the State Veterinary Office (SVO) to build capacity in BiH to monitor and control animal disease and animal movement. Together, PFD and the SVO have formed a working group with local veterinary offices in order to develop a harmonized state border inspection regulation which meets international standards. The regulation is currently before the Council of Ministers for approval.

PFD has carried out monitoring missions in order to assess the qualifications and training of current border inspectors, as well as the physical conditions of the border inspection posts. Subsequent missions will address current inspection procedures, and equipment available at the posts. This information will provide the basis for training programs, and will help the working group to conclude the selection of sites for the construction of border inspection posts which will meet international standards for animal movement.

Meanwhile, intra-net capabilities are being established between entity-level veterinary offices, border inspection posts, and the State Veterinary Office. For a view of the Border Inspection Post website, click here.

For more on PFD’s work in Bosnia & Herzegovina, click here.

The World Food Programme estimates that more than 36% of the population in Cambodia is malnourished. Most Cambodian farmers are subsistence farmers, needing most of what they raise and grow for their own personal consumption. As a result, issues of food security and animal health are a serious concern, particularly for the rural underserved populations in the northeast of the country where PFD is operational.

To meet these needs, Partners for Development will be working to improve animal health and husbandry techniques, as well as veterinary services, in an integrated program also addressing agricultural development and nutrition activities.

Partners for Development will be implementing veterinary health activities in Cambodia through a network of Village Animal Health Workers (VAHWs) who will receive training in basic animal health care in order to pass on skills and knowledge to their local communities.

In addition, agriculture extension agents, also trained under the auspices of the PFD program, will work with local communities to provide training, information, and techniques for successful family duck-raising. The objective is to reduce malnutrition in families through increasing the egg-laying duck population in communities and encouraging household members, particularly children, to increase their consumption of protein and vitamin A.

Finally, Partners for Development will also be building sustainability within Cambodia for veterinary health work through support to the University of Tropical Agriculture for expansion of their animal research facility.

For more on PFD’s work in Cambodia, click here.