The relationship started 10 000 years ago and continues to shape our world to this very day. As human societies transitioned from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled farming communities, they recognised the benefits of taming and breeding animals for a variety of needs. Not only did this domestication revolutionise agriculture by enhancing food security, it also allowed the development of complex societies. It was a pivotal period in the history of our species, and now the subject group Animal Health at the Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Sciences of the North-West University (NWU) is ensuring that this relationship continues to thrive for the benefit of South Africa.

According to Prof Mulunda Mwanza from the subject group, it is a field where opportunities thrive. “Animal Health at the NWU is so unique because it provides so many opportunities and so much exposure to students. From their first year, students are exposed to a working environment and all that entails. In addition to the veterinary possibilities, the programme offers students a wide variety of employment opportunities that include meat inspection, employment at animal feed companies, animal breeding stations and agricultural firms, and in biosecurity, for example for border control, and they are given training to be self-employed through entrepreneurship programmes.”

The subject group has numerous focuses that include animal health, veterinary microbiology, biosecurity, food safety, community engagement, production, primary animal healthcare, companion animal healthcare, wildlife and research.

Prof Mwanza says that there are numerous reasons why he would encourage prospective students to study in the field of animal health at the NWU.

“The programme is so well structured. Students are trained in small groups, and the training is done to ensure that students gain as much experience as possible. They are taught to think outside the box and to be independent thinkers as well as entrepreneurs who can significantly contribute to South Africa’s economic growth. The programme offers both undergraduate and postgraduate training.”

For students, this programme holds several benefits, but that is not the full extent of the picture.

“In this important field, students form part of a bigger picture, namely to protect the country against animal diseases through prevention, treatment, research and innovation with regard to diseases. Successful graduates also participate in the growth of agriculture, thus benefiting the country’s economy.”  

Animal Health at the NWU also has a strong community engagement component.

“For four days a week, students engage with emerging farmers to help them with primary animal healthcare and to give them advice on diseases. This engagement has seen a drop in the disease burden in the area surrounding the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus, where the programme is hosted,” explains Prof Mwanza.

The subject group also boasts state-of-the-art facilities that include a veterinary laboratory, which is approved by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). It also has a fully equipped animal health hospital, which provides surgery, dentistry, orthopaedic, radiology, endoscopy and sonar services.

This, coupled with the NWU’s dedicated researchers, makes Animal Health an indispensable tool in the fight against a number of attacks on animal health.

“We are doing some very exciting and impactful research on emerging animal diseases and others like mastitis, rabies, campylobacter resistance, antibiotic residues, lumpy skin disease and foot-and-mouth disease, and we are developing new technologies for environment control. An example of this is the development of biological control of odours on farms and at abattoirs. Regarding food safety, we are doing innovative research on residues, mycotoxins and toxicology. We are also invested in ethnoveterinary research to help farmers reduce the use of drugs and other harmful chemicals.”

Through innovation and dedication the NWU is ensuring that the next steps of our 10 000-year journey with our animals will be more beneficial than ever before.