Kiribati expands its paravet pool to bolster animal health care 14 years after its first batch of paravet graduates in 2010, Kiribati is expanding its pool of certified paravets, strengthening the country’s capacity to provide essential animal healthcare and veterinary support services.

This comes after 14 paravet trainees (7 females and 7 males) completed the extensive paravet training programme and are now equipped with knowledge and skills to deliver professional animal healthcare and production advice to communities in-country.

The successful trainees included extension officers, biosecurity officers, stockmen, and livestock officers from the Kiribati Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development (MELAD) Agriculture and Livestock division.

Organised by the Pacific Community (SPC) through the European Union-funded Safe Agricultural Trade Facilitation through Economic Integration in the Pacific (SAFE Pacific) project, the training was delivered in partnership with the Australia Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).