Livestock Services and the Poor: A global initiative - IFAD

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Quality concerns about community-based services 88 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR Community animal health workers can deliver quality services High-quality services require a technical support system Several stakeholders have raised concerns about the quality of the services of community animal health workers, particularly the practice of underdosing, which may lead to resistant pathogen strains, and overdosing, which can be dangerous for humans who consume animal products. However, a survey of community animal health workers in Ghana and Mozambique (Dasebu et al., 2003) shows that the workers performed a higher percentage of correct dosing of acaricides and de-wormers than did government technicians, although the 50% correct dosing rate leaves room for improvement. Both the workers and the technicians did significantly better than farmers, who almost universally underdosed. Quality problems are normally due to the lack of a proper technical support system (Stem and Sode, 1999). This is especially the case in government systems (Catley, 1996). Preconditions for quality community-based services A number of conditions are necessary to ensure the high quality of community-based services. Community-based systems can ensure high-quality services provided they are grounded on: the selection and support of the agent by the community; agents who carry out community animal health tasks when needed as part-time employment; sufficient and appropriate training and refresher courses; broad skills and services that can enhance income; full user payments and a commercial approach; reliable supplies of drugs; professional supervision and quality control; and responsiveness when clients are dissatisfied. The development of an effective and recognized training curriculum and the supply of sufficient training would represent enabling functions for government in the establishment of highquality, community-based services. The provision of free drugs as emergency aid in times of drought or disease undermines the viability of private (veterinary
CHAPTER 3: POVERTY FOCUS OF LIVESTOCK SERVICES or para-veterinary) services and should be avoided or, alternatively, managed through the available private networks even if the cost is greater. Catley and Leyland (2001) reviewed trends in community participation in animal health care. The review used two community-based animal health interventions to illustrate the different approaches (Box 3.11). The first example shows that poor communities are able to select community animal health workers and maintain them for many years if the communities are sufficiently involved in the process and agree from the beginning on the problems to be solved and the concepts behind the project. The approach was broadbased and succeeded in developing basic clinical services from an initial effort to vaccinate against rinderpest. Rather than focusing only on the control of one disease, the community aimed at sustainability from the beginning by paying proper attention to cost recovery and the establishment of networks through the creation of linkages between community animal health workers and private veterinarians. It has not yet been demonstrated whether long-term sustainability can be achieved after the supporting NGO withdraws, however. The second example involved the application of a top-down approach despite the label ‘community-based’, and the community involvement in the programme was not sustained. Gender aspects of veterinary services The references barely touch on the issue of male bias in veterinary services. They include very contradictory assumptions on the effect of bias on community-based services. Some claim that community animal health workers are likely to be more gender sensitive than are conventional veterinarians; others claim the opposite. However, within traditional power structures in which men are dominant, it is highly improbable that community-based services alone can secure equal attention to men and women. For this to happen, a targeted approach is needed, as in the case of the women community-link workers in the ILDP in Koraput in Orissa, or the women workers in the poultry model in Poor communities can organize and sustain community animal health workers for many years The label ‘community based’ cannot be maintained if the approach is top-down Gender balance demands a targeted approach 89
Page 1 and 2:
Nearly one billion livestock are ke
Page 3 and 4:
© 2004 International Fund for Agri
Page 5 and 6:
iv Figures Figure 1.1 The poverty c
Page 8 and 9:
Foreword About 900 million of the w
Page 10 and 11:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report, prepa
Page 12 and 13:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The world communi
Page 14 and 15:
E XECUTIVE SUMMARY HIV/AIDS AIDS-af
Page 16 and 17:
E XECUTIVE SUMMARY delivery of serv
Page 18 and 19:
E XECUTIVE SUMMARY access to credit
Page 21 and 22:
INTRODUCTION The fight against pove
Page 23 and 24:
INTRODUCTION identity. Livestock is
Page 25:
INTRODUCTION adequate for livestock
Page 28 and 29:
8 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR P
Page 30 and 31:
600 million poor livestock Keepers
Page 32 and 33:
12 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Livestock can help cement social ne
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
28 Enhancing gender equity may redu
Page 50 and 51:
Page 52 and 53:
The poor should define their own ne
Page 54 and 55:
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59: 38 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR
Page 60 and 61: 40 Inappropriate livestock producti
Page 66 and 67: The public sector must provide an e
Page 68 and 69: Decentralization brings decision-ma
Page 70 and 71: 50 The interests of NGOs are not th
Page 72 and 73: Alternative models linking local pa
Page 74 and 75: Dominated by government and NGOs Th
Page 76 and 77: Producer organizations can also aim
Page 78 and 79: 58 Supply public support through or
Page 82: 62 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR
Page 85 and 86: CHAPTER 3 POVERTY FOCUS OF LIVESTOC
Page 87 and 88: CHAPTER 3: POVERTY FOCUS OF LIVESTO
Page 91 and 92: Box 3.2 shows five biases of livest
Page 95 and 96: Box 3.4: Livestock component in Cam
Page 99 and 100: limited, and the dependency on purc
Page 101 and 102: Box 3.6: A rabbit project in Togo C
Page 107: CHAPTER 3: POVERTY FOCUS OF LIVESTO
Page 117 and 118: Table 3.1: Primary features of two
Page 121 and 122: Box 3.14: Self-help groups in the I
Page 125 and 126: Box 3.16: Loans for women dairy soc
Page 135 and 136: RECOMMENDED ACTIONS The overall con
Page 137 and 138: Focus on Key Issues CHAPTER 4: RECO
Page 139 and 140: Recommendations CHAPTER 4: RECOMMEN
Page 141 and 142: The following are required for more
Page 143: CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDED ACTIONS Init
Page 152: 132 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR
show all

Livestock Services and the Poor: A global initiative - IFAD

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?