Title
Healthy livestock – safe food
Background
Knowledge is a main key in preventing infections, improve animal health and stop hunger. This ITP aims at increasing the awareness of how animal welfare is crucial for a safe food supply chain.
Healthy livestock – safe food, contributes to the fulfilment of the Agenda 2030 and the development plans of each participating country. The programme is designed to suit the participating countries needs in the animal health sector, and to contribute to poverty reduction by promoting a sustainable livestock production with a smallholder focus. Thus, the programme relates to several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially: No poverty, Zero hunger, Good health and well-being but also Gender equality, Clean water and sanitation, Climate action, Life below water, Life on land, and Partnership for the goals
Learning Objectives
The overall objective of the programme is to reduce poverty and vulnerability among smallholder farmers. More specifically, the programme addresses how improved health in food producing animals impact sustainable production of animal derived products, and how this interrelates to reduced usage of antimicrobials and safer food products free from zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial residuals.
The main objectives of the programme are:
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improved animal health
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reduced number of zoonotic infections in humans
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decreased development of antimicrobial resistance
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reduced presence of antibiotic residuals in food
Content and Structure
The ITP takes an integrative approach of animal health and food safety, exploring animal food value chains from stable to table and farm to fork.
After completing the programme, the participants should have increased knowledge about:
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The importance of preventive measures for improved animal health, animal welfare and reduced antimicrobial use.
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Surveillance and control of endemic, epizootic and zoonotic diseases, including food-borne zoonoses.
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The benefits of applying a synergistic approach for increasing food safety in the value chain from stable to table, and how their organisation in collaboration with other actors can use this approach.
Methodology
The cornerstone of the ITP methodology is a strong interest among participants to learn from each other and use experiences from other countries and organisations. To accentuate the communal learning and the value chain approach, participants come from different scientific backgrounds and different types of organisations within the animal health sector.
The ITP is composed of several interrelated phases and an individual change project. The total duration of the programme is about 12 months. The number of participants is limited to 25 to ensure a close working relationship between the participants.
The change project is a very important tool for achieving the programmes overall objectives through institutional changes on organisational, national, or regional level. These changes may for example lead to a more coordinated approach between different authorities within the sector, or organisations being able to work more effectively towards improved animal health and adequate antibiotic use with the smallholder farmer in focus. The projects shall be needs driven, executed as an integrated part of the participants’ ordinary work, and fully endorsed by the home organisations. Co-operation with former participants, and with other participants from the same or other countries is encouraged.
The ITP phases
Phase I – The preparatory phase
The first preparatory phase takes place before the participants arrive in Sweden. The phase includes the invitation process and selection of institutions and participants. A strong commitment towards the programme and the change projects amongst the selected organisations is a precondition for participating in the programme.
Phase II – The Sweden phase
During approximately three weeks in Sweden the participants work together in a thigh schedule of theoretical lectures, seminars and group discussions and study visits covering subject of animal health, food safety and antimicrobial resistance divided in 11 modules:
Introduction to the Swedish value chain context
A common knowledge platform:
Microbiology
Epidemiology
Preventive animal health – Prevention is better than cure
Organisations within the food value chain
Agenda 2030 – How to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Control of foodborne zoonoses
Antimicrobial substances
Disease surveillance
Crisis awareness of zoonotic animal diseases
Decentralised management
Capacity building – practical project work
Phase III – The Intermediate phase
During this phase the participant develop and execute their change projects under the guidance of individual mentors.
Phase IV – The regional phase
Phase IV is a one-week workshop, where all participants meet in one of the participating countries to present their projects and the progress of implementation and where experiences will be exchanged. Study visits and lectures is also included.
Phase V – The final phase
Phase V is the final phase of the programme. The participants finalize their projects with emphasis on the implementation of the project
Targeted Audience
The programme has a regional approach to promote animal health and food safety in Eastern Africa. The following countries are invited to nominate candidates: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Only candidates nominated by appropriate organisations are considered.
Invited to participate are governmental departments and agencies, including universities, research institutes and laboratories, cooperatives and other interest groups as well as non-governmental organizations engaged in the sectors of animal health, food safety and antimicrobial resistance.
Application Process
The application process consists of three steps:
1. Application form
The application form below should be downloaded filled in electronically and signed before being sent by e-mail to registrator@sva.se indicating “itp310/4” in the subject line.
2. Nomination
The applicant must provide
Documents stating nomination by a relevant organisation, institution, or authority. The supervisor of the applicant must sign the form to confirm that the applicant can participate in the whole program, including three weeks away from home.
a recent photograph.
Required information and documents.
3. Change project
The application should include a draft project concept relating to healthy livestock – safe food issues to be developed and implemented in the home organization of the applicant.
Describe your change project in accordance with the instructions in the form.
Have the project plan approved and signed by the supervisor.
Submit the application form and Project Information Sheet electronically by e-mail to registrator@sva.se indicating “itp310/4” in the subject line.
Both men and women are encouraged to apply, the program aims at equal gender representation.
Selection process
Selected candidates will be contacted by e-mail including information on the program and the practical arrangements.
Link for more information about the programme:
https://www.sva.se/en/about-us/education-and-learning/