Community Animal Health Workers Training


The keeping of livestock forms is the main livelihood for pastoral communities in Somaliland. However, conflicts, insecurity and recurrent cycles of droughts have continued to disrupt availability of animal health services to these communities. These expose the pastoral communities to great vulnerabilities of livestock diseases. During the past few years, interventions by development agencies have introduced Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) delivery system to avail veterinary clinical services to pastoral communities. The CAHWs are members of community, are actively involved in livestock keeping and live within the communities. To become CAHWs, such members of the community undergo training on basic veterinary clinical skills and business management.

Mostly rural communities living in Maroodi Jeex region are pastoralists and agro – pastoralists, their life is closely bound up with what they earn from livestock and agriculture. The recurrent droughts have really affected the livelihood of the vulnerable communities with loss of livestock and no farming nor pasture for livestock.

Livestock sector is the backbone of the Somaliland economy as it creates employment opportunities 70% foreign currency earnings 85% and gross domestic products GDP 60% since the collapse of great Somalia in 1991. Animal did not receive the service they deserve due to shortage of funds and inadequate skilled community animal health workers.

Fortunately CANDLELIGHT through the project planned to provide Animal Health training to 12 participants from 6 target villages, each village submitted 2 participants. The participants had a chance to learn how to recognize and treat the most important livestock diseases. The participants were awarded with necessary medication is included in the veterinary medicine starter kits (one kit per village). The kits contain syringes and needles for vaccinations, hoof care equipment and protective clothing. The newly trained animal health workers offer their services for a fee in their communities, thus enabling them to safeguard their income and to buy new medication.

Objectives of the Workshop

The primary purpose of community-based animal health training is: to reduce morbidity (illness) and mortality (death), and thereby increase the productivity of local livestock by improving the access of rural

The specific objectives covered in the workshop were included the following:

  • Train 12 community animal health workers
  • To acquire participants the veterinary clinical services
  • To enable trainees to make diagnosis undertake treatment of animal disease problem
  • To keep animal treatment records and assist in animal disease control and prevention
  • To enable trainees to understand concepts of disease surveillance and reporting

Expected out comes

  • Improvement of animal health and maximizing animal products.
  • Growth of income generating from livestock.
  • Securing the livelihood of pastoralists and AGRO-pastoralists.