VETERIMED is an NGO that works to support development in Haiti. It was created in 1991 by a group of Haitian professionals who wanted to contribute to national development in the rural sector. Veterimed is specialized in animal health and production.    See  presentation of Haiti

In 2005, there were no more than 15 veterinarian doctors in Haiti. In contrast, around 65% of the population lives in the countryside and engages in livestock production.

Some 700,000 families of small rural farmers ensure around 90% of the livestock production in Haiti. For the most part, these producers do not receive any technical support.

From 1993 to 2000, Veterimed was especially active in the area of animal health, training rural animal health workers, organizing vaccination campaigns and helping to develop a national professional organization, Intervet (Entèvèt), of which more than 1,000 rural animal health workers are members today. 

From 2000 to 2005, Veterimed decided to put more emphasis on animal production in Haiti. The new focus consists in step-by-step improvements to traditional production issues in order to increase profitability and sustainability, and thus contribute to significant improvements in farmers� incomes. 

Our objective is to work with farmers to ensure sustainable alternatives in livestock development. Veterimed supports small, family farming because it creates and maintains jobs in the countryside, is more environmentally-sound and socially more equitable.

OUR PROGRAM

Our program objectives are to :

• Support producers organizations (men and women)

• Strengthen commercialization networks

• Improve productivity

• Promote sustainable resource management (grass, forage and water)

Our program is comprised of the following projects:

Let Agogo is the name of the program that support to the development of milk production in Haiti by the small farmers. Let Agogo is not just the name of the program; it's also the name the brand of a line of milk products sold on the Haitian market, such as: fresh yogurt plain or tropical fruits and chocolate or vanilla-flavored long life sterilized milk.  Read more

In most parts of the country, rural families breed animals as a source of savings. Goat and poultry breeding are generalized, while issues such as a lack of technical services, pressure on natural resources and the incidence of some diseases remain a threat to system sustainability. On the other hand, there is a high market demand for goat and poultry meat as well as enormous potential for exportation to the Dominican market. Veterimed has therefore developed programs that improve goat and poultry yields and have lower environmental impacts.

This project seeks to contribute to improving the breeding practices for this short-cycled species, which is now practiced in many rural farms around the capital. Rabbits are of special interest as they can produce a rapid increase in income for small rural farmers.

The Ministry of agriculture offers formal recognition to rural animal health workers since 1999 and has established a vast training program. Veterimed participates in this training program, which has resulted in the presence of at least 2 or 3 veterinarian agents in all 567 communal sections of the country. These rural veterinarian agents have been integrated into the GSB's (Animal Health Groups) created by the Ministry of agriculture. Such a structure allows both producers and local authorities to be involved in organizing permanent and decentralized vaccination programs to control anthrax and porc cholera as well as other contagious diseases.

Veterimed is led by a Board of directors composed of volunteer members. The technical salaried staff consists of 40 permanent employees. These include: veterinary doctors, agronomists, veterinary technicians, agricultural technicians supported by administrative staff.

Veterimed offers internships to more than a dozen Haitian and foreign university students every year.

Veterimed has solid relationships with Intervet, as well as COSEVO (Coopérative de services vétérinaires de l'Ouest) and Veterinarians Without Borders (France and Spain). Other partners and current funding agencies include :

• CORDAID

• CHRISTIAN AID

• OXFAM (Quebec/USA/UK/Intermon/NOVIB)

• European Union

• FAES

• ACPA (Cuban organization)

• IICA, FAO

• FACULTY OF AGRONOMY AND VETERINARY MEDICINE OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF HAITI

• COLLECTIF HAITI DE FRANCE

• ROCAHD, ESEE-MONDE (Montréal)

• MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

Veterimed is a founding member of AHPEL, the Haitian association for the promotion of livestock production.