Rethink communication skills content in African veterinary curriculum and practice": a comparative review.

Abstract

Globalization, emerging and re-emerging diseases are creating opportunities for the review of veterinary curricula and continuous professional development courses in Africa; by pointing to professional inadequacies in the face of these challenges. Communication Skills is one of the areas that is lacking not only among veterinarians but in other scientific fields amidst these challenges. This paper presents comparative literature review of communication skills course in science fields in general and specifically veterinary curriculum in Africa. It urges that communication has for a long time been a rejected corner stone in veterinary medicine curriculum in Africa and acknowledges its recent recognition as a disease prevention and control approach in lieu of emerging and re-emerging diseases and the development of concepts like One Health and renewed interest in animal welfare. The paper points out key areas of communication that can find use in veterinary medicine training and practice and advocates for the review of communication in the training curriculum and continuous professional development activities in Africa.