A STRATEGIC INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH STATUS OF DAIRY ANIMALS THROUGH COMMUNITY BASED VETERINARY SERVICES

Published: November 18, 2011

By: M.A. Khan, A. Mahmood, M. Younus*, F. Nazir** and M. Naeem**

Summary

In Pakistan delivery of animal health services is practiced through traditional government and private veterinary workers without any database for comparison with reference to effectiveness/efficiency. The present study was planned to compare the effectiveness/efficiency of traditional government and community based veterinary workers with reference to health and production parameters in the dairy belt of Lahore, Qasoor and Okara districts where community based veterinary services were introduced through German agency for technical assistance (GTZ). The community veterinary workers were selected by the respective community and trained for basic animal health care and emergency services. It was recorded that incidence rate due to all economically important diseases of dairy animals was 36.43% and 16.75% per anum (P < 0.05) in the services area of government and community veterinary workers respectively. Mortality rate due to various diseases was 4.18% and 3.53% per anum (P < 0.05) in government and community based services respectively. An improved fertility rate was recorded in community based services as compared to government based services which was 64.55% and 52.5% per anum (P < 0.05) respectively. In community based services, the average annual cost-benefit ratio per farmer was almost double than government based services (P < 0.05). It was concluded that community based services will help in disease control and consequently poverty alleviation if introduced throughout the country. Keywords: Epidemiology; services; dairy production; animal health

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