New veterinary college to boost animal medicine, research

Students and researchers in the field of veterinary medicine and animal sciences could soon start upgrading their skills as Rwanda’s government moves to establish the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Production and Sciences, the first in the country.

The Minister of Education, Gaspard Twagirayezu, announced the news in January 2024 during the 19th Annual National Dialogue Council (locally known as Umushyikirano) in Kigali. It was chaired by the head of state, President Paul Kagame, and attended by top government officials.

This could imply splitting the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM), one of the six colleges of the University of Rwanda (UR), into a fully fledged veterinary medicine college and a college of animal resources, according to the officials.

“We want to establish a new college that will offer veterinary medicine. This is a state-of-the-art facility that will train veterinary doctors but will also serve as a research facility in modern veterinary medicine,” Twagirayezu said. The rationale is to train more veterinarians who will ensure animal health and conduct research in veterinary medicine.

More veterinarians and technicians

As part of the college, a new veterinary laboratory complex is being constructed at RWF13.3 billion (more than US$10 million), officials revealed, noting that construction will be completed by the end of 2024 or early in 2025, if all goes as planned.

Officials said that scientific experiments, analyses, and veterinary and animal science research for both domestic and wild animals across the country and the region will be conducted in the lab. Once operational, the project could increase the number of veterinary doctors and technicians as the demand for animal products continues to rise. In 2023, Rwanda had about 5,000 veterinary practitioners registered with the Council of Veterinarians, but the country needs 13,539 to take care of the livestock in the country, according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.

A relief to animal health sector

According to Dr Olivier Kamana, the permanent secretary in the Rwanda Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the new veterinary college is a relief as the government struggles with not enough staff in the field. “The number of veterinarians and animal production experts is still very low and the few who are practising need both advanced and continuous training,” Kamana, also a trained veterinarian, said.

“As the ministry, we will benefit highly from this, given that veterinary officers and animal production professionals will be better equipped with modern, hands-on skills,” he added.

According to Dr Raymond Ndikumana, the deputy vice-chancellor for strategic planning and administration at the UR, the new college will host a variety of postgraduate and several continuous professional development programmes.

This, he said, is aimed at building capacity, and equipping the in-service professionals with updated skills in veterinary medicine and animal and livestock production and technology.

Students welcome the opportunity

Jacques Habumugisha, a second-year veterinary student at the CAVM, welcomed the initiative, saying that students will benefit. “Students in veterinary and animal health-related courses lack practical skills due to the shortage of modern laboratories and modern equipment in general.

“The proposed college is, therefore, long overdue, and our expectations are high; we hope to acquire upgraded and practical skills that match [the demands of] the real world.”

The College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Production and Sciences will be located on the Nyagatare campus of the UR in the north-east of Rwanda, an area where many cattle breeders and domestic animals are to be found.