Enhancing Joint Delivery of Human and Animal Health Services in Remote Areas

Vaccination and other health services for people and livestock often fail to achieve sufficient coverages in remote rural settings of resource poor countries. Organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross have implemented human and livestock vaccinations to make best use of the available infrastructure/personnel and field visits by professionals, but these approaches were hardly documented. Following a recommendation of the Chadian Ministries of Health and of Livestock Production as well as mobile pastoralist communities, we have facilitated the implementation and assessed the feasibility and costs of joint human and livestock vaccination services in communities who previously were not covered by public health services, but where livestock vaccination was done regularly. A team of physicians and veterinarians shared transportation and cold chain to reach the remote families during several campaigns. Next to vaccination, other health services were offered on the sites, including appropriate information. Combined health and veterinary vaccination reduced operational costs and were highly valued by all partners involved, particularly the livestock keeping families. Based on the positive outcomes of these pilot campaigns, Chadian public health and veterinary officials had workshops to discuss policy formulation on integrated services in rural areas. By optimizing the use of limited logistical and human resources, public health and veterinary services can be strengthened, especially at the district level.