"From January 26 to February 26, 2026, the FAO's Virtual Learning Center for West Africa (VLC SFW) ran an online course titled 'Preventive Livestock Healthcare for the Frontline Animal Health Team for West Africa.' The four-week program trained 524 participants from public and private sectors across West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea, Senegal and Togo. Delivered in a hybrid format with live webinars and smartphone-friendly self-paced modules, it involved facilitators from FAO, the University of Edinburgh, and Ghana's Veterinary Services. Emphasizing prevention, the course encouraged collaboration with farming families and between public and private sectors to mitigate health risks at the source, aiming to improve productivity and resilience in the livestock sector while safeguarding animal welfare and economic sustainability for small-scale producers. Certificates were awarded to those who completed assessments covering biosecurity, vaccine and cold chain management, and parasite control, with attention to gender-responsive service delivery. The program also highlighted the One Health approach and the importance of teamwork. Dr. Joseph Abuh of Ghana's Veterinary Services stated that prevention makes animal health services a value-adding investment for farmers, and a participant from Nigeria emphasized a broader commitment to resilient animal health systems across West Africa. APO Group distributed the release on behalf of FAO's Regional Office for Africa."