Historical Review After 25 Years of Experience in Veterinary Assistance in Indigenous Communities of Costa Rica: A Look Into the Past and a Projection Into the Present

Abstract

Since 1994, the School of Veterinary Medicine (EMV) of the National University (UNA) has participated in numerous extension activities in indigenous communities. Initially, two groups were created to attend to the veterinary needs in these areas. However, in 2009, both groups came together to obtain a more complementary action. In the first period (1994-2009), communities were visited, providing castration services and ovariohysterectomies combined with deworming services (external and internal), application of vitamins, and more specific treatments. The communities have been visited an average of two (Dr. Carlos Calleja Grau) to six times a year (Dr. Julio Murillo Barrantes), with an interval of 2 to 4 days, and approximately 300 animals were attended annually. In the second period (2009-2019), costs were reduced. Because of the working conditions and in attention to the current animal welfare laws and the requirements of the College of Veterinarians, surgical procedures were reduced and focused on prophylactic medicine. This also favored the increase in the frequency of tours (an average of 12-15 per year), with a duration of 1-3 days and 1000 animals attended per year. However, in both situations, for the 25 years of the project’s work, the increasing need to preserve adequate animal health in these compromised areas and the fundamental role of professionals in public health to solve zoonotic or enzootic diseases have been recognized.