This document discusses veterinary governance and coordination issues in Karamoja, Uganda. There has been progress in disease control, like eradicating rinderpest in 2008, and emerging private veterinary systems over the past 20 years. However, effective veterinary governance is needed to coordinate disease control activities between public and private sectors. Coordination is also a challenge, both within Karamoja's districts and across borders. The roles of community animal health workers are not formally recognized in legislation either. Ways forward include engaging the Ministry of Agriculture to improve regional coordination, develop a strategy for Karamoja, recognize community health workers legally, and support technical assistance for legislation reform.

1. Veterinary Services in Karamoja:
Governance and Coordination Issues
Andy Catley
July 2017
Karamoja Resilience Support Unit

2. Outline
• Areas of progress in disease control and veterinary service
delivery
• Why does veterinary governance matter?
• Why does coordination matter?
• Current challenges
• Ways forward

3. Areas of progress: disease control
Uganda achieves rinderpest eradication in
2008
“… the most dreaded bovine plague known,
belonging to a select group of notorious
infectious diseases that have changed the
course of history”
cf. measles in Uganda

4. Areas of progress: service delivery
2017 - Private systems have emerged over
20 years – but need to be strengthened
1996 – Government veterinary office, Kaabong

5. Veterinary governance
Key functions of veterinary services include:
• Control of animal diseases of national economic importance, especially those
related to the safe trade of animals and animal products
• Control of other animal diseases, less related to trade but with important impacts
on production
• Control of zoonoses
These functions depend on the effective structure, management and regulation of
veterinary services, but …
• A mix of public and private sector actors, and NGOs
• Comprises both professional and para-professional workers
• Wide range of diseases, affecting different livestock species
• Effectiveness of veterinary public sector highly dependent on wider governance
issues, across all public sectors e.g.
• Decentralization
• Budgets
• Capacity for timely and progressive policy and legislative reform

6. Assessing veterinary governance
International standards
• World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE – Office international des
epizooties)
• Recognize that the risks of animal
disease spread from a country relate to
the capacity of national veterinary
services
• External evaluation of national
veterinary services using the tool
“Performance of Veterinary Services”
(PVS)
• PVS tool based on a set of “critical
competencies”
• Each critical competency is rated by the
evaluators
NB. The OIE recognized CAHWs as a type of
veterinary paraprofessional in 2004

7. Critical competences - coordination
OIE Critical Competency Highest level of advancement
Coordination capability - “ The
capability to coordinate resources
and activities (public and private
sectors) with a clear chain of
command, from the central level to
the field level …”
There are internal coordination mechanisms
and a clear and effective chain of command
for all activities, and these are periodically
reviewed/audited and updated.
Coordination challenges
Decentralization: lines of command between MAAIF
and DVOs
Coordination between districts
- Within Karamoja e.g.
- Service providers
- Disease control strategies and programs
- Between Karamoja and neighbours
Cross-border coordination – control of “trans-
boundary animal diseases”

8. Critical competences - paraprofessionals
OIE Critical Competency Highest level of advancement
Veterinary paraprofessionals and
other technical personnel
There are effective management procedures
for formal appointment and performance
assessment of veterinary para-professionals.a
Competencies of veterinary para-
professionals
The training of veterinary para-professionals is
of a uniform standard and is subject to regular
evaluation and/or updating. a
aUnder the OIE Code, includes CAHWs
CAHWs in Karamoja
• “Formal appointment” requires formal recognition?
• MAAIF allows CAHWs in Karamoja – but CAHWs are not recognized in veterinary
legislation
• No MAAIF Minimum Guidelines and Standards for CAHWs
• CAHW training is variable (but with moves towards a common manual)
• Clear need for coordination and use of good practices for selection, training,
supply and supervision across districts, NGOs and private sector

9. Ways forward for donors and NGOs
1. Recognize that the sustainability and quality of veterinary services, and effective
disease control in Karamoja depends on veterinary governance centrally and locally
2. Recognize that nationally, and in the long-term, Uganda’s capacity to access
lucrative international markets for livestock products will depend on the quality of it’s
veterinary governance
3. Engage MAAIF and discuss options for improved coordination in Karamoja e.g.
establish a MAAIF desk for the coordination of veterinary services and disease control
across Karamoja’s seven districts, including:
• Development of a “Veterinary Service Development Strategy” for Karamoja with
multiple stakeholders
• Regular regional-level coordination events with private sector and NGOs
• Common adoption of standardized good practices for CAHWs, including supervision
and refresher training
4. Legal recognition of CAHWs is a critical step towards quality assurance.
• Learn from other countries e.g. Ethiopia, and other sectors e.g. human health
• Support specialist technical assistance to MAAIF in veterinary legislation

10. The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit is implemented by Tufts University.
For further information please contact mesfin.molla@tufts.edu or visit
www.karamojaresilience.org
Karamoja Resilience Support Unit