Veterinary Care Takes Off in Jean Rabel
As a veterinarian and member of local partner AGEHPMDNG, Erick facilitates training sessions to improve and sustain local livestock health and value. The workshops cover animal breeding and health, when to call a vet based on what symptoms, and the importance of animals.
Says Erick, “Many people used to think in terms only of animals providing them with services, but now they are learning the importance of providing health services to the animals as well.”
He started to train five veterinary agents last year. They accompany him on calls in order to get hands-on experience, since it takes time to learn the right dosage of medicines for the various animals. AGEHPMDNG is working to enroll the five of them in a government initiative that brings together veterinarians, community leaders and local authorities in each communal section. This group organizes area vaccination campaigns and shares information on animal diseases. During campaigns, families bring their animals to a fixed point to receive preventive care, anti-parasitic meds, or hormones for the bulls and bucks. The impact on area animal health has been significant.
“I have seen a change,” Erick says. “Animal disease used to be considered the work of the devil. Now people understand an animal can have diarrhea because of parasites. They see that skinny animals gain weight after treatment and proper feeding. They used to think vaccinations would kill the animals, but now they know that’s how they keep them healthy. When I am on a vaccination campaign, people stop me all along the road to ask me to vaccinate their animals. News spreads quickly by word of mouth.”
Erick used to have to travel a great distance to a major city to purchase his veterinary medicines, chiefly anti-parasitics, antibiotics, and vitamins. “Hats off to Church World Service for facilitating medicines locally. I can buy my medicines here now, and I also tell vets and agents in surrounding towns they can come here, too.”
Haiti Jean Rabel Program
Led by Church World Service and Local Partner AGEHPMDNG