The first ten Cuban veterinarians of a brigade of 23 specialists are arrived in Haiti on August 10, 2012. They will be in the country for two years and will work for the strengthening of the Ministry of Agriculture. Cuban veterinarians, all high-level specialists, each with between 20 and 30 years of field experience, will be deployed in the 10 departments.

They will support the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) particularly in development programs for the production of meat and milk. They will also provide a special support to young Haitian veterinarians, 75 in number, trained in Cuba and returned in Haiti between 2006 and 2008. Forty of these young Haitian veterinarians are working in the Ministry of Agriculture in vaccination programs and surveillance of animal diseases.

These members of the brigade are the 5th group of Cuban veterinarians arrived in Haiti to support the Ministry of Agriculture since 2000. The first group of 20 members including 19 veterinary professionals (veterinarians and laboratory technicians) and an engineer, had arrived in Haiti in July 2000 and spent two years in the country. In August 2002, was followed by a second group of 19 veterinary doctors and an engineer to continue the work of the first group of cooperants until August 2004. Political unrest that rocked the country, together with financial difficulties during this periodr esulted, for more than one year to the suspension of this aid to Haiti. In November 2005, cooperation in animal health could restart and for various reasons the third group of veterinarians was reduced to 16 technical staff. A 4th brigade, composed of 11 members, 9 specialists in animal health and 2 in plant protection, arrived in the country during the months of January and February 2008. Its term expired at the end of February 2010.

The 5th Brigade and the most recent, starts its work on the field this August.

The four brigades who have already stayed in Haiti are intervened in different levels such as institutional strengthening at the central level of the Ministry, the revitalization of departmental veterinarians, the training of technicians and veterinary agents, epidemiological surveillance, vaccination and animal quarantine.

HL/ HaitiLibre