6 FAQs about PrepVet® Training on Animals in Disasters
Over 75% of veterinary and animal health workers feel they lack the necessary skills to properly help animals during disasters. According to a recent survey conducted in four countries in Eastern Africa, the lack of disaster rescue knowledge is the significant cause of animal deaths during natural disasters.
“When disasters strike, animal survival rates will depend on what the owners and veterinarians know or don’t know. I have found that many people just don’t have the knowledge on what to do for their animals before, during and immediately after a disaster strikes,” explains Dr. Judy Kimaru, of World Animal Protection, Campaign Manager for Animals in Disasters.
Eco Clubs of Kenya interviewed Dr. Judy Kimaru following the recent launch of PrepVet® a Free online course on disaster management for animals. She had the following to say:
Why is saving animals in disasters important?
Animals whether domestic, pets or livestock all rely on people for their wellbeing, what we also call animal welfare. Even wildlife survival greatly depends on human actions. Therefore it goes without say, that when disaster strikes what we humans do for animals will eventually determine how well they fare in disasters.
All the animal owners I have met want to save their pets or livestock during disasters. Many ordinary people are also very sympathetic to the plight of wildlife during calamities. Sympathy notwithstanding, most people feel helpless because they don’t know what to do or who to turn to for help.
Knowing what disaster management is and means in the context of animals is the first step to helping animals.
What resources are available to equip oneself with this knowledge?
Unfortunately, not a whole lot of information is out there. You will find the training available or general information focusses on people. There is inadequate training specifically targeting animals. Another challenge is when you do get information it may not be relevant to your region, country, culture or context. The equipment required to rescue animals for instance, will differ depending on which part of the world you are living in. Any training should take into consideration environments like Africa where gear and equipment is limited.
That’s why we developed PrepVet® – which aims at preparing the veterinarian and animal owners to deal with animal disasters. It takes into consideration resource challenged contexts – many disasters happen in developing countries and even in developed countries can create a situation very similar to a devasted region. PrepVet® is a low-tech solution that everyone can use with the resources available to them.
How was PrepVet® developed?
PrepVet® is a World Animal Protection online course, drawing on 55 years of experience doing disaster response across the world. The PrepVet® course was launched in 2017 proceeded by a class-based version Veterinary Emergency Response Unit (VERU) that was developed in 2008. The course is self-facilitated and targets a global reach.
PrepVet® has been endorsed by the United Nations Global Education and Training Institute (UNGETI) as the only online curricula of its kind in the world addressing animal vulnerability to disasters of natural origin. It was initially developed in Spanish for Latin America and then translated into English and Portuguese for South America, Africa and Asia.
In 2013, World Animal Protection piloted the VERU in the University of Nairobi (UoN), leading to the creation of the Centre of Disaster Management and an active Veterinary Emergency Response Unit (UoN-VERU). The UoN- VERU has trained over 300 veterinary graduates on disaster management and carried out over 8 major disaster responses in Kenya and other African countries. In 2016, the University incorporated VERU into the core Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine curriculum to be taught to fourth and fifth years. This is a first in Africa.
What does PrepVet® Course cover?
PrepVet is an in-depth course that will take you through the basics of disaster care for animals during disasters. While it does not replace in-class training – it is still a great course for all animal practitioners and lovers to take. It is an introductory course for anyone taking up a career in disasters and animal health. One would require in-depth training on animal handling and rescue in different disaster situations to qualify as a rescue expert. But definitely, PrepVet® is a perquisite to any additional training.
The online PrepVet® course is divided into four core topics:
- Disaster risk reduction (DRR) and management
- Climate change adaptation
- Basic care of animals during emergencies
- Animal Welfare
The four core areas consist of 13 modules covering the topics:
- Terminology and Concepts of Disaster Risk Management
- Analysis and Plan for disaster risk reduction
- Veterinarians’ role in integral risk management
- Adapting to Climate Change
- Safety in Emergencies
- Triage
- Disaster Analysis and Needs Assessment (DANA)
- Incident Command system
- Animal Evacuation Process
- Companion Animals
- Overview of Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS)
- Search and rescue animals
- Animal welfare
How much does the training cost?
PrepVet® is FREE, ONLINE and SELF-PACED!
Once you have completed the course you will get a Certificate from the system and an additional one from World Animal Protection, Africa with transcript provided. In addition, if you are a Kenyan Veterinarian or paraprofessional veterinarian this course will earn you 32 continuous development points (CPD).
- What next after PrepVet® Training?
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