Government of the Republic of Sudan to establish a center for training of Veterinary Paraprofessionals.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) recently extended support to the African Veterinary Technician Association (AVTA) with a 3-year sub-grant, as part of the Prevention and Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases for the benefit of smallholder farmers (PC-TAD) project, funded by German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in an effort to foster enhanced veterinary workforce development in the region.

The Sudanese Association of Veterinary Technicians and Technologists extended an invitation to AVTA. During the visit, Mr. Benson Ameda, the President of AVTA and WOAH Expert, held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Sudan Veterinary Council, Dr Samir Abdel-Rasoul where they discussed at length the status of veterinary legislation and the VPP training and competencies in the country.

Although Sudan has an operational Veterinary Council Act, the need to review the legislation to improve the regulation, engagement and participation of Veterinary Paraprofessionals in Veterinary Services cannot be over emphasized.

Mr. Ameda also paid a courtesy call to the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Animal Resources (and WOAH Delegate), Dr. El Amir Saad, where they also engaged in fruitful discussions on how VPP capacities in the country could be enhanced. Such efforts will increase the involvement and participation of VPPs as stakeholders and shore up the low numbers of VPPs that the country is currently experiencing.

The team later visited the Animal Resource Research Center at Hilat Kuku where the AVTA President, while meeting with several veterinary technicians and technologists, emphasised the need to work together to counter the pressing challenges brought about by transboundary animal diseases and antimicrobial resistance in Africa. The VPPs pledged to support the veterinary workforce activities in the region.