The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Virtual Learning Center for West Africa (VLC SFW), successfully conducted an online course entitled "Preventive Livestock Healthcare for the Frontline Animal Health Team for West Africa" from 26 January to 26 February 2026. This course aimed to introduce practical ways for veterinary paraprofessionals and veterinarians to shift from simply reacting to disease occurrence towards working with farmers to prevent disease and improve productivity.

A total of 524 participants from both public and private sector from West African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea, Senegal and Togo, were enrolled on the FAO Virtual Learning Centre for West Africa platform to benefit from the technical and social tools necessary to improve farm productivity and community resilience throughout the region.

This four-week course provided 24 hours of intensive training and was delivered through a flexible hybrid format. This model allowed busy frontline animal health professionals to participate in the course while maintaining their field activities. This course combined live webinars with smartphone-compatible self-paced study modules and interactive discussion forums with tutors. The delivery of this course was supported by a team of facilitators from FAO, University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), Veterinary Services of Ghana.

Empowering the frontline animal health professional: Shifting the paradigm from reactive emergency responses to a proactive preventive approach

By advocating for a "prevention is better than cure" philosophy, the training encouraged veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals (VPPs) to work in closer partnership with farming families to mitigate health risks at the source. The course also emphasized the importance of teamwork- between public and private sectors, and between animal health professionals and the farming families they serve.

This approach not only safeguards animal welfare but also ensures the economic sustainability of animal health businesses and the livelihoods of small-scale producers. The course specifically addressed the needs of private-sector providers, emphasizing how a holistic preventive approach improves productivity and creates long-term value for small-scale livestock producers.

Participants who successfully completed the assessments, covering topics from biosecurity principles to gender-sensitive extension services, were awarded certificates of completion. Over the four-week period, learners explored a comprehensive range of topics, beginning with the economic benefits of preventive care and moving into gender-responsive service delivery.

The technical core of the course focused on practical biosecurity principles, vaccine and cold chain management, and sustainable strategies for parasite control, including the mitigation of drug resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes.

This Preventive Livestock healthcare course equips frontline services providers with knowledge to grow their businesses by ensuring the success of the communities they serve. It helps to move from emergency response and to a sustainable business model that benefits both the provider and the farmer.

The initiative marks a significant shift from reactive "firefighting" to proactive prevention, strengthening regional animal health systems and supporting small-scale producers.

"Prevention is truly the foundation of a resilient livestock sector," stated Dr Joseph Abuh, from the Veterinary Services of Ghana. "By equipping our frontline teams with these competencies, we are ensuring that animal health services are not just a cost for the farmer, but a value-adding investment”, he insisted.

As a vetenary Officer serving at the frontline, this experience further deepens my commitment to advancing resilient animal health systems and contributing to the broader One Health agenda across Nigeria and West Africa.

Preventive Livestock Healthcare remains essential not only for animal welfare but also for public health, economic stability, and sustainable agricultural development. I am grateful to FAO for this important capacity-building initiative and remain committed to applying these insights to improve veterinary service delivery and support farming communities”, declared one of the participants after completing this course.