Globaldev careers: The vet

ALICANTE, Spain — Exposure to gun violence, disease, and unbearable temperatures — while these are not typical occupational hazards for a veterinarian, they are challenges Dr. Emmanuel Egaru faces frequently. Based in the drylands of Uganda’s northeastern Karamoja subregion, Egaru is the livestock specialist for Farm Africa’s Livestock for Livelihoods program, which aims to help pastoralist women establish sustainable, small-scale goat-rearing enterprises. Pastoralism is a common way of life in Karamoja, an area plagued by conflict and insecurity. Egaru went there because he wanted to help “bridge the gap that humans have in regards to coming out of poverty, hunger, and [accessing] well-being.” Each day, after a few hours in the office, Egaru heads to a different location to conduct spot-checks on livestock, give advice on treating a disease or getting rid of ticks, and train women on caring for, breeding, and fattening their goats. The hope is that by selling milk and meat, the women — who, as part of nomadic and pastoralist communities, are often on the move — will be economically empowered and have improved health as a result of better diets. Speaking to Devex, Egaru — who has a degree in veterinary medicine and is currently studying veterinary epidemiology and public health — discussed what it is like to be a vet in the development space, the challenges it entails, and the advice he has for others. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. How did you end up in this role? Coming to Farm Africa was a very hard decision to make. But I had to do it, because in this community, not many trained veterinary doctors are willing to come and work here; it's hard to reach in terms of transport, access to health services, and amenities. But I have a passion for livestock. That's what I studied, and I really felt my professional impact would mainly be felt in the communities that need my services. I know you’ve previously had roles with Send a Cow and Concern Worldwide. What opportunities are there to work as a vet in the global development sector? There are opportunities … because you find the nature of the environment here is habitual to a lot of wildlife. We have three game reserves and a national game park. … So there's a lot of wildlife here, and this poses a high risk of zoonotic diseases — diseases that can transmit from humans to animals and vice versa — and a lot of vector populations in the communities. [This] gives a very good opportunity for research in regards to disease epidemiology and outbreaks. It’s also a very good opportunity for improving the well-being of pastoralists here. For example, access to clean water is a really big challenge because the people mainly take water from natural water collecting pools. And you find that these are places which provide a very good breeding environment for several disease-causing organisms, because wild animals — jaguars, foxes, and giraffes — take water from the same points as humans, which makes it a bit tricky and complicated in terms of health. The demand for people who have skills, like me, is really high in this region. But because of the context in the place where I'm working, most professionals fear to come and work here. What are the biggest challenges in your work? The No. 1 challenge here is security. The place is unpredictable, particularly when you have gunmen coming for animals. Maybe you could be caught up in a crossfire, which means there's a lot of vigilance, information sharing, and seeking of vital information in regards to what security is available. We also have a big challenge with diseases. I’ve often fallen sick here, because the natives who live here ... have developed antibodies. Being a new person coming to this community, simple diarrhea and flu-like conditions are a big challenge. But I find myself adapting. The other big challenge here is the weather. Sometimes it really gets so hot and temperatures go beyond 34 degrees [Celsius], which is not conducive for operating in the field. “The best thing you can do to serve and follow the oath that you swore as a professional who was trained is to offer yourself irrespective of the risks and ... to be able to deliver a service.” --— Dr. Emmanuel Egaru, livestock specialist, Farm Africa How have you seen your role change over the years? When I began working, I didn't work in this kind of context. I initially worked with a project that was helping women who were given Friesian crossbred cows that were kept on zero grazing, and you would find that it was easy because the supervision they have is in homes and you pay visits and follow up in those homes. The nature of my work currently in Karamoja is that you're working with a group of pastoralists who are nomads, so you find a situation where people keep moving from one place to another — because of the dryness in the area — in search of water and pasture. It has improved my abilities and skills in regards to working in different cultural settings in areas which I had never thought I'd be able to work before. What advice would you have for other professionals looking to work as a vet in a similar context? My advice is it's always good to try new things, and we shouldn't be driven by fear and uncertainty. … The best thing you can do to serve and follow the oath that you swore as a professional who was trained is to offer yourself irrespective of the risks and ... to be able to deliver a service. What kind of person do you think is best suited for this career path? Somebody who has grown up [in] a rural setting, who understands the challenges faced by communities in rural settings which have a higher exposure to diseases. … If somebody has that full background and understands the problems that the communities are facing, they will be much more suited for this kind of operation and be able to go into the areas that would be helpful to bridge the gap between the spread of disease from wildlife environments to humans. You need an education in rural community sociology and rural community development. This is the educational knowledge or skills that someone needs besides their main profession that they studied. You also need a skill to do with what that particular community is engaged in. For example, the community I'm working in is a livestock-rearing community. You need to be able to have skills for management of livestock, then the community will be so receptive to you. You also need team-building skills. 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