School Vision
Our vision of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences is to be regional leaders in Veterinary medicine rooted in the training of world-class and Service-oriented veterinarians with a passion to improve animal Health by minimizing pain.
School Mission
The mission of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science will be focused on improving and promoting the health and well-being of animals, humans and environmental health. The school will provide a conducive learning environment that will prepare students to become members of the worldwide team that advances health care through research and knowledge exchange.
Justification
In Sierra Leone, there are a limited number of veterinarians within the Ministry of Agriculture with presently two young and three retired veterinarians in addition to three veterinarians in Njala University. Most treatments instituted at the Ministry of Agriculture level are done by district livestock officers and their attendants who lack the required training in the diagnosis and instituting of treatments. complaints in most cases of such personnel farmers’ animals leading to a lack of faith in veterinarians since they always present themselves as veterinarians. The local government’s 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 in most cases left the livestock farmers no alternative but to rely on ethnoveterinary measures in some cases and most cases institute indiscriminate treatment with antimicrobials. This poses a great risk to the stock they herd and to the human population that relies on these animals as a source of food with regards to antimicrobial resistance. The herdsmen lack the diagnostic capacity to ascertain the actual problem facing the sick animal and to make it even worst, the dosage, dosage regimen, drug of choice, withdrawal period, contraindication indications etc.
Two of the greatest obstacles to livestock development in Sierra Leone revolves around diseases and the lack of trained professional in the sector. At present, all veterinarians get their training outside Sierra Leone Given the urgent need to develop the livestock sector resources of Sierra Leone by alleviating animal health problems and control of zoonotic diseases, and since the veterinary manpower available is excessively deficient and overwhelmed, the immediate establishment of a veterinary school is desired in Njala University. Furthermore, the establishment of the school will provide an atmosphere for Veterinarians to be trained with an emphasis on particular Sierra Leonean situations and conditions, as well as reduce the demand for external aid in training Veterinarians. More so, it will help stimulate the initiation of research which will contribute immensely to the knowledge base regarding our local situation in the sector.
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
The design of the core professional courses of the DVM program is aimed at preparing students in three main areas of emphasis, namely:
- Pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical courses that satisfy students learning objectives. The preclinical courses at 200 and 300 levels are meant to 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.
- The para-clinical courses at the 300 and 400 levels will prepare students for the ability to apply central biological principles and mechanisms that underlines animal health and disease manifestation at organism and population levels.
- The clinical courses at the 500 and 600 levels are to 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.
In all, the professional stage is used to train students on a comprehensive treatment plan and patient referral when indicated.
Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology
The learning objectives of students in veterinary anatomy will be aimed at acquiring knowledge of normal body structures, and their forms in domestic and non-domestic animals at cellular, gross microscopic and developmental cellular, gross microscopic and developmental levels. The laboratories required shall preserve whole animal carcases for dissection as well as have a sufficient number of microscopes for students to view and study slides prepared from animal body cells.
The learning objectives of students in veterinary physiology will be aimed at acquiring knowledge of normal body functions in domestic and non-domestic animals at the cellular and gross levels. Laboratories that will be required will enable the harvesting of live animal tissues for study, both qualitative and quantitative assessments with a sufficient number of the equipment for students to observe, enumerate and experiment with animal body cells, tissues and organs at work in molecular activity.