Posted on 09/20/2005 10:41:31 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan , Sept. 20, 2005 — Animal health is a concern for Afghan shepherds today and may be a major factor in the quality of herds for years to come.
For 20 years, Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Mark J. Martinez, a veterinarian, has made it his mission to treat and research diseases affecting animals and working in biodefense research.
Martinez is now applying his expertise toward healing the ill animals in Afghan villages so the future of the stocks will be stronger and healthier.
Working with the Civil Military Assistance Team from Bagram Airfield, Martinez averages two or three missions a month.
"The veterinary component of the CMA mission routinely treats several hundred head of livestock per mission day," he said. "This can range up to well over one thousand animals per day in certain areas, for example, when tending to the Kuchi livestock.
"We do our work primarily in areas where there are no veterinary services. Afghans, both villagers and Kuchi nomads, are very grateful for the veterinary care we provide."
There are a wide variety of animal diseases in Afghanistan and its neighboring countries in central and south Asia.
Only a few of these diseases can effect humans, such as anthrax, tuberculosis, brucellosis, rabies, and some internal parasitism; however, these are relatively uncommon.
By treating for parasites and vaccinating against devastating animal diseases, Martinez and other veterinarians improve the livestock's health and productivity, such as milk production or meat yield.
In the case of work animals, the care keeps those animals that plow fields or are used as pack animals healthy.
"A vast majority of rural Afghans, 80 to 85 percent, depend on livestock in some fashion for their economic livelihood," said Martinez.
In Martinez 's area of operations, the big plan of rebuilding Afghanistan is to rebuild the private-sector veterinary services which used to be widely available to farmers, many years ago before the invasion by the former Soviet Union and repression by the Taliban regime.
This rebuilding of the veterinary infrastructure is being spearheaded by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Rebuilding Agricultural Markets Program in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and nongovernmental organizations such as the Dutch Committee for Afghanistan.
PING
Hearts and minds, folks, hearts and minds.
And like all idiots, the first animals they will try to save are the defective ones who will obviously be the most distressed.
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.