Livestock farmers on communal land rely heavily on state veterinary services (SVS) for animal health care. State provided primary health care services are however, not readily accessible to many such communities. The study was conducted to investigate the primary animal health care (PAHC) delivery methods that are preferred by communal land-based livestock farmers, with special focus on the possibility of using community-based animal health workers (CAHW). The study was conducted in Mnisi community in Bushbuckridge local municipality of Mpumalanga Province. Questionnaire-based interviews were conducted with 133 cattle farmers from 10 of the 15 inspection points in Mnisi community. After analysis of the data from the questionnaire surveys, group discussions were held at five inspection points to obtain clarity on the community’s needs and expectations for the delivery of PAHC services. Data was captured and analysed in Microsoft Excel using descriptive statistics. Responses from the group discussions and other interviews were captured and reported on. The respondents were predominately male (72 % of all respondents), owners of the livestock (80%) and had an average of 13 cattle each. The major reasons given for the exit of cattle from the herds were sales (38% of exits), drought (18.2%), stock theft (15.6%) and diseases (14.8%). Overall 55.1% of exits were losses while 43.7% were for beneficial purposes (1.2% of the exits from the cattle herds were not explained). The farmers perceived nutritional problems, animal diseases, access to water, stock theft, drought and ticks/dipping the six important constraints to livestock production. Amongst diseases and disease conditions, tick burdens, lumpy skin disease and internal parasites were considered the major challenges. Most farmers (77%) did not vaccinate their cattle. The main reason that was given for not vaccinating cattle was that vaccines were provided free by the SVS. None of the farmers felt that the vaccines were not available, not effective or too cumbersome to apply. Despite the free vaccines, 67% did not know if their cattle were ever vaccinated and or what diseases the administered vaccines prevented. All farmers controlled ectoparasite infestation either by plunge dipping (90.2%) or use of pour-on acaricides (9.8%). Furthermore, 78% of those who dipped their cattle also used other methods to control ectoparasites, popularly, whole body and/or spot spraying as and when it was necessary. Endoparasites were controlled by 59.4% of the respondents, predominately by drenching as and when it was necessary. The alternative products for ectoparasites and endoparasites were obtained mainly from the farmers’ cooperative in Hoedspruit. For 99% of the respondents the primary providers for animal health care in Mnisi were SVS professionals (predominately Animal Health Technicians, AHTs). Other community members were consulted by 30% of the respondents. The common routes of contact were visiting the SVS offices, contact at the inspection points and calling the officials with a cell phone. Two-thirds of the farmers reported diseases to SVS and most of them (94%) were happy with the response to the reports. In general the farmers were satisfied with the accessibility of the AHTs (72%), state veterinarians (95%) and the animal clinic staff (77%). They were also satisfied with the information that they received from SVS. The most preferred providers of animal health care were the AHTs (77%). When prompted, 92% of the respondents said they would use the services of a community-based person trained to handle animal health problems, mainly for advice on disease management, drug administration, disease surveillance, diagnosis and castration. During the group discussions, facilitating access to fodder and water were included in the tasks for the community-based persons. Forty-two percent of the respondents said that they would use such a person frequently and 83% were willing to pay for the services in cash and/or kind. The general impression was that young people should be trained to carry out these tasks. Farmers preferred that the community-based person should work closely with the AHTs and be in contact with the farmers as frequently as 2–3 times a week to monthly. It is concluded that farmers of Mnisi community were satisfied with the availability and accessibility of the PAHC services provided by the SVS, and in fact preferred the SVS for this service. The farmers however lacked the knowledge and ability to adequately handle the production, animal health and livestock security problems with which they were confronted. A community-based service would therefore be beneficial if it holistically addressed the critical challenges of access to fodder and water, control of diseases and ticks, ensured livestock security, and also equipped farmers to manage these challenges. It is therefore recommended that Community-based Livestock Workers could be engaged if they are adequately qualified to fulfil this role. The use of Farmer Field Schools facilitated either by AHTs or CLWs for capacitation of the farmers should be investigated. The cost implications, potential benefits and effectiveness of selected options should be explored further before conclusive decisions are taken. It is further recommended that some effort should be invested in stimulating community cohesion amongst farmers to enable them to collectively address challenges that are common to them. The needs for the delivery of PAHC services in Mnisi community illustrate that such services should be tailor-made for the intended beneficiary communities, taking into consideration the existing support structures, the communities’ socio-cultural issues, cost effectiveness and the possible impact of the services. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

Primary animal health care (PAHC) programs are aimed at the provision of basic animal health services at local level. No single approach has emerged as the one of choice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of training using the PAHC model developed by Afrivet Training Service, on the skills of small scale rural farmers. Seventy nine farmers were selected randomly from Makapanstad, Ratjiepane and Mnisi area using a statistical software EpiCalc 2000 v1.02. The selected farmers were assessed for knowledge and skills with background information collected prior to a 5 day training session. Data was captured using Microsoft Excel and analysed using Stata 12.1. Means were compared using participant’s t-test or ANOVA while the proportions were compared using Fisher’s exact test. The statistical significance was assessed at p < 0.05. The findings prior to training indicated that complete data was available for 77 participants, of which the majority were adult males with age of mean±SD of 49±18.2 years. The average herd size was 12±14.1 cattle. There was a significant involvement of youth and females at 31% and 32% respectively. The unemployment rate amongst participants was 91%. Farmers perceived clinical services as being unaffordable. Most of the participants (79%) preferred to treat a sick animal themselves or seek advice from the neighbouring farmers as compared to 21% who approached a veterinary professional for assistance. Lack of knowledge, poor access to products and poor communication between farmers and veterinary officials was identified. Post-training assessment indicated that farmers gained skills to observe, examine and treat; implement preventative measures independently. There was a better understanding of the farmers’ role in the provision of animal health care. There was no significant difference in overall skill level between the various age groups, level of education and farming experience. There were differences between the genders in the acquisition of specific skills during the training, with females performing better in data recording while males were more skilled at determining temperature using a thermometer. The conclusion is that the training model used had a positive impact on the ability of the participants to provide first-line animal health care and keep records. A modified, standardised method to evaluate knowledge before and after training is proposed for future studies. Further studies are also required to evaluate the impact of the training on animal health and production, food security and socio-economic impact. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

Den arbetsrelaterade ohälsan i landet har blivit ett växande problem generellt. Bland veterinärer upplevs arbetsbelastningen vara hög, det är många som funderar på att byta yrke och självmordsfrekvensen är högre än för andra yrkesgrupper. Syftet med studien var att bidra till ökad kunskap om både intern och extern kundtillfredsställelse inom djursjukvården genom att undersöka hur tillfredsställda djurägare är med veterinärbesöken och hur tillfredsställda veterinärerna är med sin arbetsmiljö, samt att identifiera möjliga förbättringsåtgärder för dessa områden. Den teoretiska referensramen utgick från offensiv kvalitetsutveckling, via kundtillfredsställelse och arbetsmiljö generellt, för att därefter mer specifikt beskriva arbetsmiljö och kvalitet inom djursjukvården, samt kommunikation mellan veterinär och djurägare. Det vetenskapliga förhållningssättet för studien var hermeneutik med en abduktiv ansats. För att besvara forskningsfrågorna genomfördes en fallstudie vid en distriktsveterinärmottagning med insamling av både kvalitativa och kvantitativa data. Djurägartillfredsställelsen undersöktes med en enkät, som översattes från engelska, och telefonintervjuer. Veterinärernas tillfredsställelse med arbetsmiljön undersöktes med fokusgruppintervjuer och en enkät som författaren skapade utifrån den teoretiska referensramen. Veterinärer vid ytterligare en mottagning fyllde också i enkäten och fungerade som kontrollgrupp. Den insamlade empirin analyserades kvantitativt och kvalitativt. Resultatet visade att djurägarna i väldigt hög grad var tillfredsställda med veterinärbesöken, med undantag för diskussion om, och förståelse för, besökets kostnader. Veterinärerna var i hög grad tillfredsställda med sina arbeten och sitt yrke, samtidigt som de var missnöjda med arbetsbelastningen och några orkade inte arbeta heltid. Utöver arbetsbelastningen var veterinärerna minst nöjda med den mängd feedback de fick på arbetet. Mest tillfredsställda var veterinärerna med det sociala stödet och tillfredsställelsen med arbetet överlag i form av de utmaningar de möter och känslan av att de utför ett meningsfullt arbete. Utifrån studiens resultat kunde flera möjliga åtgärder identifieras för att förbättra både den interna och externa kundnöjdheten. / The work-related ill-health in the country has become a growing problem in general. For veterinarians, the work-load is perceived as strenuous, many vets consider changing their profession, and the suicide incidence is higher than it is for other professions. The purpose of the study was to make a contribution to the knowledge about both internal and external customer satisfaction within veterinary medical care by investigating pet owners’ satisfaction with veterinary appointments and veterinarians’ satisfaction with their working environment, and also to identify possible measures for improvement in these areas. The theoretical framework started out with its base in total quality management, and went on through customer satisfaction and working environment in general, to a more specific description of the working environment and quality in veterinary medical care, as well as communication between veterinarian and pet owner. The scientific strategy for this study was hermeneutics with an abductive approach. In order to answer the research questions, a case study was conducted at a clinic of official veterinarians, a Distriktsveterinärmottagning, with gathering of both qualitative and quantitative data. Pet owner satisfaction was assessed by means of a questionnaire translated from English and phone interviews. Veterinarian working environment satisfaction was assessed by means of focus group interviews and a questionnaire created by the author out of the theoretical framework of the study. Veterinarians working at an additional clinic were asked to complete the questionnaire and functioned as a control group. The collected data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results showed a high degree of pet owner satisfaction with the appointments, except regarding discussion about, and understanding of, the cost for the appointment. Veterinarians showed a high degree of satisfaction with their work and their profession, meanwhile showing dissatisfaction with their work load and some did not manage to work full-time. In addition to their work load, the veterinarians were least satisfied with the feedback regarding their work. Veterinarians showed the highest levels of satisfaction concerning social support and overall satisfaction with their work in the form of challenges faced and the feeling of carrying out meaningful work. Based on the results of the study, a number of possible measures for improving both the internal and external customer satisfaction were identified / <p>2018-06-27</p>

Introduction: Infection control in animal health care is, as in human health care, most important to prevent and fight antibiotic resistance. Animal health can also influence public health. Basic hygiene routines; hand hygiene, routines for proper attire, and routines for personal protective equipment (PPE), such as protective aprons and gloves, represent the simplest and most important infection control and prevention measures. High compliance to these routines is important to achieve. However, due to few scientific publications in the animal health care arena, customized and efficient efforts have not been fully identified for this environment. Therefore, optimal oversight and compliance assessments are difficult to achieve. Similar to human health care, several infection control and prevention measures and responsibilities are addressed by nurses. Objectives: To study compliance to basic hygiene routines and assess whether compliance differs between different animal health care professions, such as nurses versus veterinarians. Method: A quantitative web-based survey about basic hygiene routines, was used to investigate compliance to basic hygiene routines among animal healthcare providers. The eligible respondent sample was comprised of 360-2600 providers. Difference in compliance among professions within animal health care was estimated using SPSS statistical analysis software. Results: Of a possible 360-2600 possible respondents, 313 animal healthcare providers responded to our web-based survey. Significant differences in compliance among professions were not found (between veterinarians and veterinary nurses with a degree, and veterinarians versus nurses without a degree). Higher compliance was observed at larger animal hospitals and among personnel educated at their work place in basic hygiene routines. Hand disinfectant use before contact with patients was most often missed, as well as not wearing a protective apron or coat if risk for contact with body fluids was evident. Conclusion: In contrast to previous practical experience and reports, our results showed no significant difference in compliance between animal healthcare veterinarians and nurses. Given our null findings, more studies are needed to identify hidden factors influencing compliance among animal health care workers, as well as attention to representative sampling. Even so, based on our results, potential interventions include enhanced work-based education programs on infection control and prevention, with attention to smaller (small to medium sized) animal health care clinics. Focus for such interventions should also address hand disinfection before contact with patients. In addition, more effective monitoring is required. / Introduktion: Vårdhygien inom djursjukvården är liksom inom sjukvården viktigt för att förebygga och motverka utvecklingen av antibiotikaresistens vilken kan påverka folkhälsan. Basala hygienrutiner är en av de viktigaste vårdhygieniska åtgärderna för att förhindra smitta inom sjukvården och djursjukvården. En god följsamhet till basala hygienrutiner är mycket viktig att uppnå men på grund av liten kunskap om hur det förhåller sig inom djursjukvården är det svårt att skräddarsy insatser. Traditionellt riktas många vårdhygieniska insatser och ansvar till sköterskor i djursjukvården. Syfte: Undersöka om följsamheten till basala hygienrutiner skiljer sig mellan olika yrkeskategorier inom djursjukvården. Metod: Genom kvantitativ ansats utifrån 313 svar på en webenkät med ett utskick på 360-2600 enkäter om basala hygienrutiner undersöka självskattad följsamhet och med hjälp av statistikprogrammet SPSS beräkna om skillnader finns mellan olika yrkeskategorier inom djursjukvården. Resultat: Signifikanta skillnader i följsamhet till basala hygienrutiner mellan yrkeskategorierna veterinärer och sköterskor (djurvårdare och djursjukskötare) fanns inte. Bättre följsamhet sågs på större arbetsplatser samt om personalen fått utbildning på arbetsplatsen. Handdesinfektion före patientkontakt var svårast att följa samt användning av skyddsförkläde/rock vid risk för kontakt med kroppsvätskor. Slutsats: I motsats till tidigare praktisk erfarenhet visade resultaten att signifikant skillnad i följsamhet mellan veterinärer och djurvårdare eller mellan veterinärer och djursjukskötare inte kunde ses. Därmed kan konstateras att fler studier behövs för att identifiera dolda faktorer som påverkar följsamheten bland djursjukvårdens personal. Utifrån resultaten kan dock konstateras att interventioner som innebär förbättrade utbildningsprogram i vårdhygien på arbetsplatsen, särskilt på små till medelstora kliniker, bör genomföras. Dessa bör fokusera på handdesinfektion före patientkontakt. Mer effektiv övervakning behövs.