Training Helps Curb Animal Disease

CHALLENGE

An outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) could have extreme economic consequences for Croatia's extensive livestock sector. Breeders, farmers and veterinarians, until recently, did not have sufficient information on measures that could be taken to prevent an outbreak.

INITIATIVE

Miroslav Kovac, Department Head and Livestock Advisor at the Croatian Agricultural Extension Institute in the Pozesko-Slavonska County was among many farmers, veterinarians, ministry officials and other professionals that attended a USAID-funded study tour to the United Kingdom to learn how they dealt with the FMD epidemic in 2001. The study tour introduced them to prevention methods such as risk analysis, surveillance strategies emergency preparedness and contingency planning.

RESULTS

Mr. Kovac quickly took what he learned and put it into practice. In the Town of Pleternica, Mr. Kovac helped build a disinfection barrier at the entrance of the livestock market. This new facility protects thousands of livestock from the devastating effects of infectious animal diseases.

He also raised awareness among veterinarians and breeders on disease prevention systems at roundtable discussions and distributed informative leaflets. Mr. Kovac also helped disburse 50 smaller disinfection bars to farmers and breeders and helped six families build disinfection barriers at their farms.

Mr. Kovac proved that if people are provided with information and the "know-how", they will actively take the necessary measures to reduce the risk of disease outbreak. Once shown how, they invested their labor, money and time to follow Mr. Kovac's lead.

Story provided by: World Learning

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