Laboratory Diagnosticians Group of the South African Veterinary Association/State Veterinarians

There are several veterinary faculties, technical colleges and other institutions in sub-Saharan Africa that offer formal or informal training in various aspects of veterinary science. Short, formal, structured, skills-orientated courses are not, however, readily available. Few people can afford the time and money to attend full-time postgraduate courses, but may need to acquire new knowledge and skills to perform their tasks more efficiently. The introduction of modular courses for veterinarians and veterinary technical personnel was given impetus by the Office International des Épizooties-sponsored workshop on The Requirements of a Sustainable Veterinary Diagnostic Service in Southern and Eastern Africa that took place from 12–14 July 1995 in South Africa. At this workshop it was resolved that the maintenance of a functional veterinary diagnostic service is dependent on training of all levels of personnel involved in veterinary diagnostics. The Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, has in collaboration with a number of faculties and institutes in the Southern African Development Community, offered modular courses during the last 3 years. Modular courses provide ideal opportunities for collaboration with scientists from other veterinary faculties and institutes. A network of tutors and trainees can be established so that they can contribute towards harmonisation of veterinary services within a region. They also provide opportunities for capacity-building or career development without candidates necessarily embarking on a formal postgraduate degree programme. Credits that are given for each module can, however, be used towards obtaining a postgraduate degree. This paper deals with experience gained with modular courses related to veterinary diagnostics and epizootic diseases, and touches on efforts to secure recognition of credits by veterinary faculties throughout the region.