Information to help people improve their own well being and that of their environment is always welcome. This manual provides such information which relates to human health and animal health and production. The manual is written for those with the greatest need for healthy and productive animals - rural livestock raisers. These men and women have valuable skills and experience with food animals. The Primary Animal Health Care Worker (PAHCW) manual contains information for men and women at the grass roots level to provide basic animal health and production services in every community. With this manual, some training and minimal supervision, PAHCWs can fill gaps in the animal health care system in developing countries. Such services will provide direct employment in rural areas; the services are simple, appropriate and sustainable.
The PAHCW manual is adapted from the Primary Health Worker manual published by the World Health Organization. Adaptation is an important theme throughout the manual. One book cannot contain specific information on animal health and production which applies throughout the world. Feed sources and grasses differ, diseases vary in frequency and importance and names of animal remedies are different. So the manual gives trainers guidance on ways to adapt information to different situations in different localities.
This manual is intended for heavy use; it is not a book to remain unopened on a shelf. Space is provided for writing notes and for writing names of locally available animal remedies. PAHCWs are encouraged to write in the manual - this adapts it to local conditions. PAHCWs should carry the manual with them during their visits. If they wear it out, good - they should receive another.
The problems, the text and the drawings should be adapted to the conditions of each country and each community in which PAHCWs work. We at FAO and the WHO/FAO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Veterinary Public Health fully expect that this manual will be well used, adapted, translated into different languages and found to be useful to improve human conditions at the grass roots level.
The contributions made by Dr. Talib M. Ali, veterinarian and training specialist, who compiled the material and authored the text, and Ms. G. Morosetti, biologist and illustrator, who prepared the numerous drawings, are gratefully acknowledged.
