Improving Basic Services and Capacity Building in Uruzgan -

Animal Health and Production Component

In 2006, three Dutch NGOs combined forces and founded the Dutch Consortium for Uruzgan. This institution appeared to be working well in their first project together. Therefore in 2008 two other NGOs joined the Dutch Consortium for Uruzgan, amongst which was DCA-VET. The current partners of DCU are Save the Children, Health Net TPO, Cordaid, ZOA-Refugee care, and DCA-VET. Together they submitted a project proposal to the Dutch Embassy in Afghanistan. In July 2008, the inception phase was started of what would become the DCU-2 project. The DCU 2 project started on 1 May 2009 with a time frame of 4 years.

In this project, DCA-VET works on the improvement of the animal health and productivity of the Afghan livestock. DCA-VET contracted AVA which is the organisation performing the majority of the field work. DCA-VET takes care of the management and supervision of the work of AVA and training of new paravets.

Uruzgan already had 16 paravets working in seven veterinary field units. During the inception phase another 8 paravets were trained. At this moment, these 24 paravets are expected to handle the veterinary care in Uruzgan. AVA will train an additional 30 basic veterinary workers who will perform the basic animal care in remote areas. Two new VFUs were established to ensure that all nine district in Uruzgan can rely on veterinary services. Paravets were trained in laboratory techniques to be able to diagnose animal diseases which cannot be diagnosed by simple clinical examinations.

AVA equipped a cold room in Tarin Kowt as a storeroom for vaccines and medicines. From there,  the vaccines and medicines are distributed to the VFUs. In addition, the VFUs receive the necessary veterinary equipment, such as a refrigerator for storage of vaccines, and a motorbike to visit the farmers.

To increase animal production, AVA trained five paravets in the field of artificial insemination. AlI aims at improving the local cow breeds, for Uruzgan breeds of cows do not produce much milk or meat.  Every VFU is now ready to offer the farmers AI services.

To reduce animal mortality in winter yearly 160 to 180 tons of concentrated feeds are distributed among the farmers of the nine Uruzgan districts.

back

Latest revision 02 July 2010