The majority of Mongolia’s livestock herders utilise a semi-nomadic grazing system, moving to defined pasture areas and benefiting from open access and public-owned pastureland. Mongolia’s livestock sector is an important one for the national economy and in terms of national food security, generating 20 percent of GDP and representing livelihood security for more than 800,000 people, or a quarter of the population, and food security for all Mongolians. The sector represents 30-40 percent of national employment. At present, about 160,000 herder families own 30-40 million head of camels, goats, sheep, horses, yaks and cattle. However, the carrying capacity of Mongolia’s rangelands is 25 million livestock. This overstocking is leading to overgrazing and severe land erosion on already vulnerable pastureland. Mongolia also leads the world in incidences of brucellosis, and an estimated 25 percent of all Mongolian herders are brucellosis positive.

To improve the animal health system and make it more effective.

AHP will target decision makers and technical personnel in government institutions. This will lead to better animal and human health and in the case of FMD will benefit the herders with healthier animals and better access to export markets for meat. By targeting the teachers of the SVMB, the veterinary students will get a better education which will enable them to support the herders more efficiently and more effectively

Outcome 1: Mongolia has solid and well organized Veterinary Services according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards with well trained female and male personnel.

Outcome 2: Mongolian authorities are capable to control brucellosis and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Outcome 3: The formal education for the bachelor of veterinary medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology (SVMB) of the Mongolian State University of Agriculture (MSUA) is based on a state-of-the-art curriculum and is taught by competent male and female teachers.

Expected results:  

1. The performance of veterinary services from legislation to implementation is strengthened by improved technical capabilities.
2. A Mongolian disease-control strategy is developed, approved and implemented.
3. A needs-based master plan for a gender sensitive human resource development at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology (SVMB) is developed and implemented.

Results from previous phases:  

The pilot in brucellosis control has given some evidence that the policy makers are willing to adopt a course of evidence-based policy development. During the pilots, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry (MoFALI) started to work together on all levels. Livestock Project Mongolia (LPM) linked MoFALI with MoH.

Swiss competence centres, private veterinarians, private meat industry, other donor agencies, NGOs, WB, FAO, EU.

AHP complements the work of projects like Green Gold. There are synergies of the animal health and livestock sector with projects funded by World Bank, FAO and European Union. European Union and FAO have been involved in the planning process. These projects will support infrastructure and equipment investments.

Phase 2 01.01.2012 - 31.12.2016   (Completed)