Over 900 ruminant veterinarians study strengthened farm biosecurity practices

FAO’s Virtual Learning Center for Europe and Central Asia recently developed and delivered a new virtual learning tutored course on improving ruminant biosecurity. This capacity building tool aims to equip field veterinarians and industry professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to assess and improve biosecurity on all sorts of ruminant farms. The course was developed in collaboration with experts from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) with support from Lleida University (UdL) and LleidaVet in Spain.

The course has the capacity for 400 participants simultaneously, and combines interactive learning with self-paced study. The course takes 10 to 12 hours to complete over four weeks, and is structured around seven core modules: basic biosecurity, biosecurity during animal movement and on live animal markets, visitors, vehicles, and how to assess and create a plan for farm biosecurity. Elective modules offer in-depth study of biosecurity of specific production systems, namely dairy farms, fattening farms, pasture-based farms and smallholder farms.

All modules are enriched with webinars, visual aids, exercises, and self-assessment quizzes to reinforce learning. During the course, trainers are available through a discussion forum to answer questions from participants, and to lead participatory discussions. 

Participants who complete the seven core modules, the elective module and pass the final assessment are awarded with a certificate and points towards their continuous professional development, as   the course is accredited by the Veterinary Continuing Education in Europe (VetCEE). 

“The VetCEE accreditation signifies a significant achievement for the FAO Virtual Learning Center” said Mark Hovari, who coordinated the development of the course. “This recognition confirms that the course meets rigorous quality standards, ensuring participants can utilize the credits earned,” he added.

The first course was delivered in English in February and March 2024. 

“In order to increase the impact of the course we have already planned several language adaptations” said Daniel Beltran-Alcrudo, FAO Technical Advisor on Animal Health. “The course was translated to Turkish, Russian and Romanian and was delivered for participants in our region between April and June this year.”

Next, during the second half of 2024, FAO plans to adapt the course to open access format in English, Russian and Turkish, so that anyone can take the course at any point in time and get certified. A further adaptation will translate the knowledge into more hands-on face-to-face trainings taught to veterinarians and farmers on a farm.

Virtual learning courses exemplify FAO's dedication to empowering animal health professionals with the necessary tools and knowledge to ensure the well-being of ruminant livestock. Over 900 persons from the region of Europe and Central Asia participated in one of the four language versions of the course 

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The project was sponsored by the United States Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Federal Government of the United States, and no official endorsement should be inferred. 

FAO would also like to acknowledge the United States DoD DTRA Cooperative Threat Reduction Program's support of project HDTRA1-19-1-0037 "Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases".