Vets Without Borders has an open One Health Advisor volunteer position in Laos with our partner, Health Poverty Action (HPA).

Volunteer Placement Details

Position Title: One Health Advisor

Country: Laos

Location: Vientiane with occasional travel to communities in Laos

Partner Organization: HPA

Duration: 4 weeks

Start Date: As soon as possible

Pre-departure Training: VWB/VSF will provide training orientation.

Eligibility: Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada only

Language: English (essential). Volunteer will have support of translator for some duties

Academic Requirements: Degree in Veterinary Medicine or a related field

Fundraising: VWB/VSF encourages each volunteer to raise funds towards the organization’s operations.

Volunteer Support Package

VWB offers you an incredible experience to take part in an international volunteer experience where you will expand your personal and professional skills while contributing to global development. VWB commits to supporting you throughout your volunteer journey and will cover the majority of the costs involved in being an overseas volunteer, including:

Return airfare to placement country
Pre-departure training
In-country orientation upon arrival in country of placement
Return airfare to placement country
Visa/permit costs
The cost of required for vaccinations and anti-malarial medication
Overseas emergency travel health insurance
A monthly living allowance (MLA) that will be paid into the volunteer’s bank account in Canada. The MLA is designed to be sufficient to cover simple housing, basic food requirements, and other typical monthly living expenses.
Debrief after the placement

Placement Goals and Responsibilities

As the One Health Advisor based in Vientiane, Laos, you will support Health Poverty Action to develop staff capacity in the One Health approach.

As part of your role, you will:

Support with the review and improvement of One Health / Biosecurity & zoonotic diseases guidelines
Build capacities and share best practices on how to increase the value of livestock to optimize income
Build capacity of staff members by providing One Health related trainings on topics ranging from general animal welfare, disease prevention and management, biosecurity measures etc.
Promote gender equality by sharing best practices on the roles and responsibilties of livestock raising
Ensure an environmental and sustainability climate action lens is applied throughout the placement by sharing best practices on farming management to be environmentally friendly and growing climate resistant crops
Promote good governance and human rights practices by building capacity and sensitizing on women’s rights
Participate in pre-assignment training
Submit reports as required by the partner organization and by VWB

Required Experience and Skills

Degree and/or relevant experience in Veterinarian Medicine or a related field
Demonstrated experience working in One Health approach and concept
Experience working with small ruminants (chicken and pigs)
Demonstrated knowledge on zoonotic diseases, biosecurity
Considered an asset to have experience in agriculture and climate change knowledge
Minimum two (2) years relevant professional experience in your field of expertise
A commitment to gender equality, One Health principles, and international volunteering
Flexibility, adaptability, excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity
Experience with group facilitation and trainings, including content development considered an asset
Experience living and working internationally considered an asset

Working Conditions

Stairs in the office
Community roads in poor conditions
Rainy season – possible flooding and slippery roads

VETS Volunteer Application

Personal Information

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Eligibility Requirements

Due to funder requirements, Canadian International Volunteers must be either Canadian citizens or permanent residents in order to be eligible to volunteer. Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are residing outside of Canada and/or who do not have a Canadian permanent address are eligible to apply.

Due to VWB's volunteer insurance eligibility requirements, we are unable to recruit volunteers over the age of 79 years of age for international assignments.

Please note that final selection as an international volunteer is subject to completion of a criminal record verification and approval by VWB's insurance provider. International volunteers will also require a valid passport with an expiry date that must exceed the assignment end date by at least six months.

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Application

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Additional Information

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Our Commitment

Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires sans Frontières is an equal opportunity employer and values the diversity of our team.

We are committed to inclusive and equitable employment practices and strive to create a workplace that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion. VWB/VSF Canada welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, including members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, women, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.

Please let us know if you require an accommodation and we will work with you to ensure an equitable hiring process. Thank you for your interest in VWB/VSF Canada.

About the Project: VETS

Volunteers Engaged in Gender Responsive Technical Solutions (VETS), funded through the Volunteer Cooperation Program at Global Affairs Canada, will engage 190 volunteers to work with local partner organizations in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Volunteers will help create integrated animal health systems to increase the livelihoods and household nutrition of small-scale farmers. The VETS program utilizes the skills of volunteers to build local partner capacity to support community members, primarily women, to reduce poverty. Through improved production of livestock and crops, volunteers help improve family income and nutrition.

The VETS program is built around the One Health concept, which recognizes that the health of people, animals, and the natural environment are interconnected. This project promotes the production of more and better food and increased incomes from livestock, all the while promoting land rehabilitation and conservation for sustainable development.

Learn More About The VETS Project

About Veterinarians Without Borders

In the global south, more than 90 percent of food animals are raised by subsistence farmers. However, small-scale livestock producers, the majority of whom are women, have very limited access to quality and affordable animal health services.

Aside from the risks associated with the loss of valuable livestock that provides important protein and/or income for low-income households, zoonotic diseases that can be passed from animals to humans offer a very real threat to human health on a wider scale.

Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires sans frontières (VWB/VSF) works for and with communities in need to foster the health of animals, people, and the environments that sustain us. VWB/VSF works nationally and internationally to train animal health workers, increase food security, and improve animal and public health.

VWB/VSF provides overseas volunteer placements for veterinarians and other animal and public health professionals.

Learn More About VWB

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