My participation in the promotion, training and research application of Participatory Epidemiology (PE) and Participatory Disease Surveillance (PDS) dates from 2004 and was through Informal Learning, after some personal interactions with Dr Andy Catley. The main E-learning resources I used personally as well as subsequent trainees of my trainee postgraduate students were: i. FAO Animal Health Manual 10 – Manual on Participatory Epidemiology – Method for the Collection of Action-Oriented Epidemiological Intelligence ii. Andy Catley and Jeffrey Mariner (2001) Participatory Epidemiology: Lessons Learned and Future Directions Proceeding of a workshop held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia November 15th to 17th, 2001 iii Andy Catley (2004). Participatory approaches in animal healthcare: from practical applications to global-level policy reform. Participatory Learning and Action 50 2004
iv. Catley, A. (2005). Participatory Epidemiology: A Guide for Trainers. African Union/Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, Nairobi.

Participatory Epizootiology (Veterinary Epidemiology) PE and Community Based Animal Healthcare CBAH are two course topics added to the Course PVM 711 Advanced Epizootiology (Veterinary Epidemiology, which is a compulsory course for the three Masters Programs – Master of Veterinary Public Health (MVPH), Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) and Master of Epizootiology ( MSc. Epizootiology) degree programs ran by the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine , Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, during the 2004 University wide Postgraduate Courses review of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan Nigeria.
At the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, where I lecture, the trainees are the postgraduate students offering any of the three Masters programs in the Department – MPVM, MVPH and MSc. Epizootiology; as well as any student (especially government employed veterinarians), who wish to apply PE/PDS for a MPhil/PhD or PhD programme.
Taught as Participatory Epizootiology, the contents of the various aspects of the topic which I solely taught as a component of the compulsory course PVM 711: Advanced Epizootiology (Veterinary Epidemiology) for MPVM, MVPH and MSc. Epizootiology students of the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine of the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria are as follows:
- Review of the evolution and concept of participatory epizootiology - Participatory/clinical/laboratory diagnosis - Principles and paradigm shifts of Animal Health and Production development (Farming Systems-technical, social, cultural, economic and ecological) - Community Assessment and Participatory appraisal - Participatory Research terms :Rapid Rural Appraisal RRA, Participatory Rural Appraisal PRA Participatory Learning and Action PLA - Participatory Research tool: Institutional Mapping/Venn diagramming, matrixes, mapping, seasonal calendars and timelines, Community Inventory or Semi-structured interviewing, Focus Group Discussions, transect walks, wealth ranking - Participatory Epizootiology Methods: Animal Health Surveys, Needs Assessments and Action Plans, Monitoring, Impact Assessments and Evaluations, Ethno-veterinary studies, Participatory Disease Searching, Disease Modelling
In addition, I supervised/ presently supervising the following PE-based postgraduate veterinary students’ project (MPVH, MPVM, MPH-VEP, and PhD) from 2004 to date:
i. Dr. Idowu O.S. (2004): Participatory Epizootiology Research of Animal Health in Olunde Village, Lanlate, Oyo State Nigeria. MPVM project 2004.
ii. Dr. Ogunwale Ibironke (2006): Participatory Appraisal of Livestock Diseases with Livestock-Keeping Women of Awotan, Ido LGA, Oyo State, Nigeria. MPVH 2005/2006
iii. Dr. Idowu O.S. (2009): Community-Based Participatory Epizootiology Training in Nigeria. PhD proposal
iv. Dr. Kareem, A. A. (2010): Matric No: 139670: A Participatory Baseline Survey of Rural Livestock Health Management Practices in Igangan Agro -Pastoral Zone, Oyo State Nigeria: The place of Community Based Animal Health Workers. MPVM Project
v. Dr Awosanya A. E. J. (2010): Prevalence of Influenza A (H1, H3 & H5) in slaughtered pigs and pig workers in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. MPH-VEP Project (Co-Supervisor)
vi. Dr. Morakinyo O. (2010): Participatory Appraisal of PPR in Iseyin Local Government of Oyo State. MPVM Project
vii. Dr Nma Bida (2011): Participatory Epizootiological Study of Prevalence and Economic Impact Estimation of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Niger State, Nigeria. MPVM Project
viii. Dr Mariat Soleye (2011): Participatory Appraisal Survey of transboundary animal diseases in some Ogun State, Nigeria villages. MVPH Project
ix. Dr. Morakinyo O. (2011): Participatory Appraisal of PPR in Oyo State”. PhD Proposal
x. Dr Nma Bida (2012):Participatory Epizootiology of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Cattle Herds In Niger State, Nigeria. PhD Proposal

I have also delivered the following as Conference Proceedings:
i. Ogunwale Ibironke and BABALOBI O. O. (2007): Community Based Participatory Epizootiology of Livestock kept by Awotan Women, Ido LGA, Oyo State, Nigeria. Proceedings, Scientific Session of the 44th Annual Congress of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Warri Delta State, Nigeria. Pp 293-296
ii. BABALOBI O. O (2009): Application of Participatory Epizootiology approach to the monitoring and surveillance of Contagious Bovine Pleuro-pneumonia, an enzootic disease identified by settlers in a Fulani agro-pastoralist settlement scheme, the Igangan Grazing Reserve, Oyo state, Southwest Nigeria. Pre-ISVEE XII workshop- Discussing the Development of Methods for effective surveillance in Livestock Populations. August 6-8, Durban, Republic of South Africa,
iii. BABALOBI O. O. (2009): Participatory Epizootiology Research of Settled Pastoralists of the Igangan Grazing Reserve, Oyo state, Southwest Nigeria. ‘Epidemiology Unplugged-Providing power for better health’: The Twelfth Conference of the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE XII). 10 – 14 August 2009, Durban, South Africa
iv. Kareem A. A. and BABALOBI O. O. (2010): Participatory Baseline Survey of Rural Livestock Health Management Practices In Igangan Agro -Pastoral Zone, Oyo State Nigeria: The Place Of Community Based Animal Health Workers. Presented at the 2010 47th Annual Congress of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Makurdi, Benue State. October 2010.
I have the following as Journal publications:
i. BABALOBI, O.O. and Idowu, O. (2005): ‘The Paradigm of Community-Based Participatory Epizootiology: A Review’. Tropical Veterinarian. Vol. 23 (3&4) 69-77.
ii. Idowu O.S. and BABALOBI O. O. (2010). Animal Health Management Perspectives of Rural Livestock Farmers in Southwest Nigeria: The Place of Community Based Animal Health Workers. Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 31 (1), 26-36.
iii. Ogunwale I. and BABALOBI O. O. (2010): Ethno-Veterinary Medicine Perspectives of Common Diseases and Health Problems of Livestock kept by Rural Women in South-West Nigeria: A Case Study. Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol. 31(4) 255 – 262.
iv. BABALOBI O. O. (2011). A Participatory Epizootiology Research of Settled Pastoralists in Igangan Grazing Reserve, Southern Guinea Agro-Pastoral Zone, Oyo State, Nigeria: First Report. Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32. (1). 16-20.
v. BABALOBI O. O. and Kareem A. A. (2011).: Participatory Baseline Survey Of A Case Study Rural Livestock Health Management Practice In Nigeria: The Place Of Community Based Animal Health Workers. Tropical Veterinarian. (In Press)
vi. BABALOBI O. O., Bolajoko, M.B. and Anzaku S.A. (2011) : Participatory Disease Surveillance As Panacea To The Bane Of Animal Disease Under-Reporting In Nigeria: A Collaborative Report. Short Communication. Tropical Veterinarian. (In Press).
Likewise, I have undertaken the following Workshop training lectures presentations during the October 2009 CDC/USAID/AFENET – NIGERIAN FIELD EPIDEMIOLOGY LABORATORY TRAINING PROGRAMME (N-FELTP) Zoonoses Outbreaks Surveillance and Management (ZOSM) Workshop, / NFELTP 2008 Cluster Set. 2010 held at the National Veterinary Research Institute NVRI, Vom, Plateau, State Nigeria
i. Principles and Practice Of Community-Based Participatory Epidemiology in the Identification, Monitoring and Surveillance of Zoonotic Animal Health Issues
ii. Zoonoses Outbreaks Surveillance and Management ZOSM: Participatory Epidemiology
iii. The Role of Traditional Community-Based Participatory Epizootiology in Effective Animal Disease Searching, Reporting, Surveillance and Control
iv. Three Important Human-Related Factors in Veterinary Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigation of Animal Diseases
v. Introduction to the Role of Traditional Community-Based Participatory Epizootiology in effective Animal Disease Searching, Reporting, Surveillance and Control. Sub-Title: Participatory Epizootiology and Disease Surveillance.
Thank you.
Tayo Babalobi (DVM, MPVM, PhD: FCVSN), (On sabbatical leave with AFENET/ CDC Animal: Human Interface Project, Abuja, Nigeria). 30th January 2012.

Thanks for your kind comment. Its very encouraging to see PE incorporated into the curriculum at the University of Ibadan. I think it would be interesting for the PENAPH membership to now more details about how PE has been incorporated into the curriculum and how it is being used in the graduate student projects. There are several other schools moving down this road and others considering such an action. Tell us more. Are you a member of the online community (blog)?

I would like to join the network. I’m vet, Deputy Director Disease Surveillance,, currently working as trainer on disease surveillance /reporting and data management, also working as TAD Officer USA FMD project in Pakistan.
Worked for Participatory Epidemiology /disease surveillance in TAD project and later in EU project in Pakistan.

As I indicated in my comments to the PENAPH posting “Participatory Epidemiology in Animal and Human Health”, posted by Saskia Hendrickx on June 29, 2011; since 2004, Participatory Epidemiology/Epizootiology has been approved as part of the curriculum of our Masters degree programs ( MVPH, MPVM and M.Sc Epizootiology) at the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria and personally I have since taught PE to about seven (7) set of Masters students, supervised six (6) Masters project that employed PE methods/tools and is presently supervising one PhD candidate using PE. In addition, I have presented six (6) PE work at local and international conferences and have six (6) PE journal publication.

Building on the ILRI EDRSAIA PE/PDS capacity building exercise HPAI for veterinary personnel in several countries, it is laudable that PENAPH has got ahead with these Rockefeller Foundation sponsored projects.

Kudos!!