Andy
Stringer, BVSc PhD MRCVS is Director of Veterinary Programmes for SPANA
(Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) where he directs SPANA’s global
veterinary programs. SPANA (www.spana.org) is a British charity that works to
improve the health and welfare of working animals worldwide, and thereby
support the livelihoods of those who depend on them. Dr. Stringer also holds a
position as an Honorary Lecturer in International Animal Health at the
Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool where he is
involved in teaching and research.
SPANA’s primary objective to improve the health and welfare of
working animals worldwide can be reached through a multifaceted approach that
includes providing direct veterinary care through clinics and
field work, improving and supporting the training and capacity building of vet
professionals and paraprofessionals, supporting teaching institutions in
country, providing community education, and conducting research programs and
evaluations of all of the above. In
addition SPANA provides limited response to emergency situations encompassing
both environmental disasters and conflict related emergency care of equine work
animals.
Work animals can include the span of
horses, camels, oxen, and donkeys (most common). These animals are at risk for
misuse and abuse because they are largely absent from protection within
agricultural and research regulations and therefore the ownership and treatment
of these animals varies and is often attached to more to cultural values rather
than ethical values.
Dr. Stringer delved into the discussion
of the sustainable
livelihoods approach (SLA), which is a way to improve understanding of the
livelihoods of poor people. By building
assets including human, social, natural, physical, and financial capital,
individuals and households develop their capacity to cope with the challenges
they encounter and to meet their needs on a sustained basis. Dr.
Stringer mentions a quote that was told to him by a villager:
“If you have a healthy working animal
you can be the King of a village, if you have no animal you can be the King of
poverty”
Dr. Stringer encourages a holistic
approach to help animals. The relief of
suffering, which can include heat exposure, potential for injury, overworked
conditions, inadequate diets, and inadequate handling equipment, is crucial for
the longevity of the animals. Among the
major issues is one of inadequate veterinary care where animals lack
appropriate treatment for infections, foreign body ingestion, and wounds caused
by poor harnesses (abscesses), traffic accidents and poor home remedies
including burning.
Examples of some of the projects being
implemented were given:
- Changing harnesses for safer versions locally made to help prevent wounds
- Reflective ear tags for animals to wear for reduction of night traffic accidents
- Providing proper saddles for transporting pregnant women from mountains which are also comfortable and ergonomically correct for animal use
Challenges of Interventions include how
to sustainably change attitudes, knowledge, culture.
Dr Stringer entertained multiple
questions from the audience include ones regarding:
- Infection transmission between owners and animals which he answered as unknown because of limited available information
- Has there been a “mutual healer” training to address both human and animal needs? “no”
- How does SPANA help in communities of displaced people and their work animals?
- This is addressed with helping offload animals from their owners and then often gifting them back or selling them back for a reduced price which helps to keep the animals in a stable environment while the owners re-establish. This is supported with a restocking with animals from the region as naïve animals that are brought in are susceptible to illness and people may have better knowledge of native species.
The presentation concluded with a
quote from a recent article published about One
Health:
“It is time to consider whether One
Health will prove to be a short-lived response to a spate of emerging diseases
that apparently threatened to engulf the world, or a paradigm shift that will
lead to a wider and deeper commitment to interdisciplinary action addressing
the protection and needs of society in the 21st century”
– E. Paul J. Gibbs., BVSc, PhD, FRCVS
To which he responded that while he
hopes it is the latter, he feels as though the interdisciplinary world is
currently in a stage of doubt, but hopes it will be followed closely by
acceptance.
Authored by Christina Gonzalez
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