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UK Professor Helps Rebuild Middle East
Veterinary Services
By
Aimee Nielson
LEXINGTON, Ky., (Sept. 20, 2006) – Two years ago U.S. Army
veterinarians recognized a need to help Afghanistan and Iraq
rebuild their animal health infrastructure. University of
Kentucky epidemiology professor Craig Carter was part of that
group, and he wanted the result of his participation to be
effective disease prevention and control in animals and a more
abundant source of protein for the people of both countries.
Carter works in the UK College of Agriculture’s Livestock
Disease Diagnostic Center and also in the UK College of Public
Health. His active and reserve military career spans four
decades, including service in Vietnam, Desert Storm and
Afghanistan. Carter was one of six key individuals brought
together to conduct workshops aimed at helping Iraqi
veterinarians plan and implement a National Animal Health
Program, similar to programs within the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The first workshop was held in Kuwait City in
September 2004.
That workshop identified long- and short-term needs and
facilitated a concerted effort to rebuild animal health programs
in the two countries. Carter said enormous progress was made in
Afghanistan through subsequent workshops held by technical
experts. The group was able to gather again in July 2005 at the
World Veterinary Congress in Minnesota.
Carter said that from the beginning, Iraqis wanted to hold
workshops in their own country, but it was difficult for them to
get travel visas and approval from the Iraqi Ministry of
Agriculture. Finally in August 2006, with U.S. Army
reconstruction funding, more than 80 veterinarians came together
in Erbil, Iraq. The group included eight female veterinarians,
with representation from the central governments of Iraq and
Kurdistan, and most universities, laboratories and private
practices from 16 of the 18 Iraq governorates. Carter was part
of an international team that included representatives from the
U.S. Army, the USDA, North Carolina State University and
Colorado State University, and a retired veterinarian from
Texas.
The workshop’s purpose was to develop a framework for enhancing
national animal health capacity through integration of
government, academic and private sector veterinary capabilities.
Participants had to brainstorm, collaborate, prioritize and
network with their colleagues.
“This process was definitely not encouraged under the regime of
Saddam Hussein,” Carter said. “The participants related
repeatedly how much they wanted a better life and for their
profession to play a significant role in the recovery of the
Iraqi economy and quality of life. Indeed, they literally risked
their lives to attend the workshop.”
Carter added that many Iraqi veterinarians routinely receive
death threats because they are working to rebuild the country
and to make the new system of government work. To preserve their
anonymity, photos of the conference were not printed.
“For four long days, the brave participants disregarded
obstacles of security, lack of funding, and geographic and
religious differences,” he said.
Some of the conference outcomes included beginning plans for an
Iraqi veterinary scientific conference to be held within 18
months; starting plans for a new Iraqi Animal Health
Organization, patterned after the U.S. Animal Health
Association; developing training sessions for each veterinary
discipline supporting the new National Animal Health Program;
developing a coordination committee to support the NAHP and
donating selected textbooks to the nine veterinary schools in
Iraq.
Carter said many challenges lie ahead before the conference
goals are carried out.
“Iraqi agriculture has many challenges with security and funding
right at the top,” he said. “But beyond that, the Iraqi
veterinary profession will have to work hard to organize their
efforts toward building an effective animal health program that
will build and protect their herds from endemic and exotic
diseases. In the past, everyone turned to Baghdad to solve all
their problems. This mindset needs to change such that the
Iraqis take charge of their own destiny. The most recent
workshop focused on these issues.”
Iraq has great potential for a viable and competitive
agricultural economy if certain diseases are eliminated, Carter
said.
“There are many opportunities to improve the quality of life for
Iraqis via agricultural recovery and improvement,” he explained.
“For example, brucellosis is a common disease in
sheep and goats that easily infects people, and it can be fatal.
It is estimated that about 3 percent of Iraqis have clinical
brucellosis at any one point in time. Most of the United States
has eradicated brucellosis and it has had a huge positive effect
on public health. The same thing is possible for Iraq.”
Carter added that establishing programs to improve animal health
will improve overall productivity and a healthier protein source
for the populace.
“Iraq has the potential to become strong marketers of cattle,
sheep, goats, poultry and other species,” he said.
Nancy Cox, UK College of Agriculture associate dean for research
and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, believes
Carter’s involvement in the effort to rebuild veterinary
services in the Middle East also helps the college.
“Craig’s service reflects well on the college,” she said. “He is
applying his skills in Kentucky to develop a statewide animal
health information system. We appreciate the fact that Craig is
also applying his skills to reconstruct an animal health system
in Iraq, basically from the ground up. It underscores how
important health management is to a reliable and safe food
system.” |
Contact: Craig Carter,
859-253-0571, ext. 124
Nancy Cox, 859-257-3333 |
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth
with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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