School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences
Building Sierra Leone's Veterinary Future
馃敪 School Vision
Department Focus
馃Υ Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology
Veterinary Anatomy Learning Objectives
Students in veterinary anatomy will acquire knowledge of normal body structures and their forms in domestic and non-domestic animals at:
- Cellular levels
- Gross microscopic levels
- Developmental levels
Laboratory Requirements - Anatomy
- Preserve whole animal carcases for dissection
- Sufficient number of microscopes for students to view and study slides prepared from animal body cells
Veterinary Physiology Learning Objectives
Students in veterinary physiology will acquire knowledge of normal body functions in domestic and non-domestic animals at the cellular and gross levels.
Laboratory Requirements - Physiology
Laboratories will enable the harvesting of live animal tissues for study, both qualitative and quantitative assessments with sufficient equipment for students to:
- Observe animal body cells, tissues and organs
- Enumerate cellular components and functions
- Experiment with molecular activity at work
Expected Impact
National Development
- Strengthen livestock sector productivity
- Reduce dependency on foreign-trained veterinarians
- Build local expertise for epidemic preparedness
Research Innovation
- Context-specific veterinary research
- Local disease pattern studies
- Indigenous knowledge integration
Professional Excellence
- World-class veterinary education
- Regional leadership in animal health
- International standard graduates
Key Statistics
Current Veterinarians
Entire Country
Proposed Departments
New Veterinary School
Study Areas
Pre-clinical, Para-clinical, Clinical
External Training
Current Reality
Building Sierra Leone's Veterinary Future
Establishing the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences will transform animal healthcare in Sierra Leone, creating world-class veterinarians equipped to serve local communities and contribute to regional leadership in veterinary medicine.
馃幆 School Mission
馃搵 Justification
Current Veterinary Capacity in Sierra Leone
Young Veterinarians
Ministry of Agriculture
Retired Veterinarians
Ministry of Agriculture
University Veterinarians
桃子视频 University
Total Veterinarians
For Entire Country
Critical Challenges
Unqualified Treatment Providers
Most treatments at the Ministry of Agriculture level are done by district livestock officers and their attendants who lack required training in diagnosis and treatment. This leads to complaints from farmers and lack of faith in veterinarians since these personnel always present themselves as veterinarians.
Inadequate Institutional Capacity
The local government's minimal investment towards building institutional capacity to provide veterinary services re-emphasizes how helpless the country is, should the next epidemic strike. This sickening situation has left livestock farmers with no alternative but to rely on ethnoveterinary measures.
Antimicrobial Resistance Threat
Most cases result in indiscriminate treatment with antimicrobials. This poses a great risk to both livestock and the human population that relies on these animals as food sources regarding antimicrobial resistance.
Herdsmen lack diagnostic capacity to ascertain actual problems and knowledge of proper dosage, dosage regimen, drug of choice, withdrawal period, contraindications, and indications.
Two Greatest Obstacles to Livestock Development
Diseases
Widespread livestock diseases affecting productivity and health
Lack of Trained Professionals
Insufficient veterinary professionals to serve the sector
Current Training Reality
At present, all veterinarians get their training outside Sierra Leone. This creates dependency on external aid and limits context-specific training for Sierra Leonean conditions.
馃挕 The Solution
Given the urgent need to develop livestock sector resources by alleviating animal health problems and controlling zoonotic diseases, and since veterinary manpower is excessively deficient and overwhelmed, the immediate establishment of a veterinary school at 桃子视频 University is desired.
Key Benefits:
- Training veterinarians with emphasis on particular Sierra Leonean situations and conditions
- Reduce demand for external aid in training veterinarians
- Stimulate research initiatives contributing to knowledge base regarding local sector conditions
Existing Departments
None
(Establishing a New School)
Proposed Departments
Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology
Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology
Department of Veterinary Pathology
Department of Medicine
DVM Program Design
The design of the core professional courses of the DVM program is aimed at preparing students in three main areas of emphasis:
馃К Pre-clinical Courses (200 & 300 Levels)
Prepare students for knowledge of animal body forms and functions in domestic and non-domestic animals beginning at the molecular and cellular levels to the whole organism.
馃敩 Para-clinical Courses (300 & 400 Levels)
Prepare students for the ability to apply central biological principles and mechanisms that underlines animal health and disease manifestation at organism and population levels.
馃彞 Clinical Courses (500 & 600 Levels)
Equip students with the ability to use problem-solving skills for:
- Case management
- Prevent disease
- Institute biosecurity measures
- Identify zoonotic diseases and food safety issues
- Promote awareness of public health and ethical issues
馃懆鈥嶁殨锔 Professional Stage Outcome
The professional stage is used to train students on a comprehensive treatment plan and patient referral when indicated.