Frontline Animal Health in Your Community
Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) bridge professional veterinary services and remote communities where livestock sustains livelihoods. You work at the frontlines of animal health. You recognise disease early, provide basic treatments, educate owners on biosecurity, and connect serious cases to qualified veterinarians.
Kora provides tools designed for your mobile, field-based workflow. Whether you serve pastoral communities in East Africa, support smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia, or provide community-level animal health services anywhere, Kora supports your work with features built into the platform's core.
Your Mobile-First Workflow
CAHWs work in the field, not at desks. Kora's mobile interface (Chapter 5) provides everything you need:
Quick observation recording - Open Kora on your phone during farm visits. Record health observations with GPS coordinates automatically captured (Chapter 10.1). Document what you see: symptoms, behaviour changes, body condition. Add photos directly from your phone's camera.
Treatment documentation - Record treatments you provide under supervision or standing protocols (Chapter 10.2). Document vaccinations, deworming, basic wound care, and nutritional support. Each treatment record includes date, medication, dosage, and administration route.
Task management - Organise your daily visits using the task system (Chapter 13). Create tasks for vaccination schedules, follow-up visits, and routine health checks. Mark tasks complete as you finish each visit.
Offline capability - Record observations without internet connectivity. Kora caches location data locally. When you return to network coverage, observations synchronise automatically to the central system.
Daily CAHW Routines
Morning Planning
Review your task list before heading to the field. Kora shows today's priorities sorted by location. Plan your route visiting nearby farms efficiently.
Check for urgent notifications. Has a supervising veterinarian left instructions? Do any animals you're monitoring require immediate attention? Notifications appear on your mobile home screen.
Download any reference materials you might need. The Knowledge API (Chapter 4) provides disease information, treatment protocols, and emergency contacts accessible offline.
Field Visits
Arrive at the farm - Use GPS observations to document your location. Kora automatically records coordinates when you create observations in the field.
Conduct health checks - Systematically assess animals. Look for disease symptoms: coughing, discharge, lameness, unusual behaviour. Record findings as observations (Chapter 10.1). Mark severity level: Low for minor concerns, High for serious symptoms requiring veterinary consultation.
Provide authorised treatments - Administer treatments within your scope of practice. Document each intervention immediately. Record vaccination batch numbers, deworming product names, and treatment dates. This creates complete treatment histories supporting traceability.
Flag cases requiring veterinary attention - When you encounter symptoms beyond your scope, use the "Requires Follow-Up" feature (Chapter 10.1). This creates a notification for the supervising veterinarian. Include detailed notes and photos supporting professional assessment.
Educate owners - Use Kora's disease information (Chapter 4) to explain conditions, show prevention strategies, and demonstrate proper animal handling. Knowledge API articles provide evidence-based guidance you can share.
End of Day
Synchronise your observations. When you return to network coverage, Kora uploads all field data automatically. Supervising veterinarians can review your observations and provide guidance.
Complete task records. Mark visits complete, document outcomes, and create follow-up tasks for cases requiring continued monitoring.
Review notifications. Has your supervisor provided feedback? Do any urgent cases require immediate coordination?
Working with Supervising Veterinarians
CAHWs work as part of broader animal health systems. Kora supports this collaborative model:
Veterinary consultation - When you flag observations requiring professional assessment, veterinarians access complete case details (Chapter 20). Your field observations, photos, and treatment history inform their diagnosis. They can provide guidance remotely or schedule on-site visits.
Supervised treatment protocols - Veterinarians prescribe treatment plans you implement. They create treatment records with detailed protocols (Chapter 10.2). You document each administration, confirming protocol compliance. This creates complete accountability for professional oversight.
Learning from cases - Review veterinary observations on animals you monitor. See how professionals assess symptoms, interpret findings, and make diagnoses. This builds your clinical knowledge over time.
Emergency escalation - For critical cases requiring immediate attention, contact veterinarians directly. Kora provides phone numbers and emergency contacts in staff profiles (Chapter 26.1). Your observations provide context when you call.
Basic Health Interventions
CAHWs provide essential interventions within defined scope of practice:
Vaccinations
Record every vaccination completely (Chapter 10.2):
- Vaccine name and manufacturer
- Batch number and expiry date
- Dose administered
- Administration route (subcutaneous, intramuscular)
- Injection site
- Next dose due date (for series requiring boosters)
Vaccination records support community disease prevention and regulatory compliance. Complete documentation protects both you and animal owners.
Deworming
Document deworming treatments systematically:
- Product name (anthelmintic used)
- Dosage based on estimated animal weight
- Administration method (oral drench, injectable, pour-on)
- Withdrawal period (time before animal products safe for human consumption)
- Recommended retreatment interval
Basic Wound Care
Record wound treatment details:
- Wound location and description
- Cleaning method (antiseptic used)
- Topical treatments applied
- Bandaging (if applicable)
- Follow-up timing
- Referral to veterinarian (if wound severity exceeds your training)
Nutritional Support
Document nutritional interventions:
- Supplements provided
- Feeding recommendations
- Body condition score assessment
- Follow-up monitoring plan
Disease Surveillance and Outbreak Response
CAHWs contribute to regional disease surveillance. Your field observations detect outbreaks early, protecting community animal health.
Recognising Disease Patterns
Watch for unusual patterns suggesting outbreak:
- Multiple animals showing similar symptoms
- Higher than normal mortality
- Sudden appetite loss across herds
- Respiratory symptoms spreading rapidly
- Unusual behaviour changes affecting groups
When you observe concerning patterns, document systematically. Record every affected animal. Note symptom progression. Take photos documenting clinical signs.
Emergency Reporting
Suspected outbreaks require immediate reporting:
Document the situation - Create observations for all affected animals. Mark severity as Critical. Include detailed symptom descriptions and photos.
Flag for veterinary review - Use "Requires Follow-Up" on observations. This notifies supervising veterinarians immediately.
Contact authorities directly - For suspected emergency diseases (foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, African swine fever), call veterinary authorities directly. The Knowledge API (Chapter 4) provides emergency hotline numbers.
Implement basic biosecurity - Advise owners on immediate measures: isolate sick animals, restrict movements, control farm access. Reference biosecurity protocols in Chapter 11.
Contact Tracing Support
If veterinarians confirm contagious disease, you support contact tracing:
- Document animal movements you observed (Chapter 7.3)
- Identify other farms you visited recently
- Note shared resources (water sources, grazing areas, transport vehicles)
- Implement movement restrictions as directed by authorities
Treatment Under Supervision
Professional veterinarians prescribe treatments exceeding CAHW scope of practice. You implement these protocols under supervision:
Receiving Treatment Plans
When veterinarians create treatment plans, you receive notifications. Review the protocol carefully:
- Medication name and dosage
- Administration schedule (frequency, duration)
- Special instructions (with food, at specific times)
- Monitoring requirements (symptoms to watch)
- When to escalate (criteria requiring immediate veterinary contact)
Implementing Protocols
Administer treatments exactly as prescribed:
- Check medication expiry dates before administration
- Follow dosage instructions precisely
- Use proper administration technique
- Document each treatment immediately (Chapter 10.2)
- Note any adverse reactions observed
Progress Monitoring
Track treatment response:
- Record follow-up observations documenting improvement or deterioration
- Measure and document key indicators (temperature, appetite, activity level)
- Report progress to supervising veterinarian
- Escalate immediately if condition worsens
Using Kora Effectively in the Field
Mobile Interface Optimisation
Kora's mobile interface prioritises field efficiency (Chapter 5):
Touch-optimised buttons - Large, easy-to-tap controls work with gloves or in challenging field conditions.
Minimal text entry - Use dropdown selections, checkboxes, and quick options reducing typing. Add photos instead of long descriptions when appropriate.
GPS integration - Location captured automatically. No manual coordinate entry needed.
Low bandwidth - Data-efficient design works with limited mobile connectivity.
Battery conservation - Optimised performance extends battery life during full-day field work.
Offline Data Collection
Network connectivity varies in remote areas. Kora handles this seamlessly:
Record observations offline - All observation forms work without internet. Data saves locally on your device.
Automatic synchronisation - When you return to network coverage, Kora uploads observations automatically. No manual sync required.
Conflict resolution - If multiple people edited the same record offline, Kora preserves all changes with timestamps showing who made which updates.
Photo Documentation
Photos provide powerful evidence supporting clinical assessment:
Document symptoms clearly - Capture visible signs: lesions, swelling, discharge, abnormal posture. Include multiple angles showing severity.
Include context - Take wide shots showing affected animals in their environment. This helps veterinarians assess housing, crowding, and facility conditions.
Add scale reference - Include familiar objects (coins, hands, rulers) showing lesion size.
Attach immediately - Link photos to observations while details are fresh. Describe what each photo shows.
Professional Development
Consistent documentation demonstrates competency and supports professional growth:
Building Your Track Record
Every observation and treatment you record builds your professional history. Supervising veterinarians and regulatory authorities can review your work, verifying treatment adherence and clinical judgment.
Complete records demonstrate:
- Systematic approach to health assessments
- Appropriate case escalation
- Treatment protocol compliance
- Attention to detail
- Professional accountability
Learning from Experience
Review cases you've managed:
- Which symptoms progressed to serious disease?
- When did you escalate appropriately?
- What treatments were most effective?
- How did veterinary diagnoses differ from your initial assessment?
This reflection builds clinical intuition and improves future decision-making.
Capacity Building
Use the Knowledge API (Chapter 4) for continuing education:
- Study disease profiles expanding your clinical knowledge
- Review treatment protocols for common conditions
- Learn about biosecurity best practices
- Understand regulatory requirements affecting your work
Integration with Other Kora Features
CAHWs benefit from features throughout Kora:
Animal records (Chapter 8) - Access complete health histories before visits. Review previous treatments, chronic conditions, and veterinary recommendations.
Movement tracking (Chapter 7.3) - Document animal movements supporting traceability and disease surveillance.
Biosecurity protocols (Chapter 11) - Implement quarantine recommendations and access restriction guidance during disease events.
Task management (Chapter 13) - Organise vaccination campaigns, follow-up schedules, and routine monitoring systematically.
Maps and GPS (Chapter 9) - Visualise farm locations, plan efficient visit routes, and document observation locations precisely.
Desktop Access for Administrative Tasks
While most CAHW work happens on mobile, occasional desktop access supports:
Review multiple cases simultaneously - See all animals you're monitoring in one view. Identify patterns across farms.
Plan weekly schedules - Organise upcoming visits, vaccination campaigns, and follow-up appointments efficiently with full calendar views.
Access detailed health histories - Review comprehensive animal records when preparing for complex cases.
Generate reports for supervisors - Document your activities, case loads, and treatment outcomes for oversight and funding reports.
Training and capacity building - Study disease information, watch educational videos, and review clinical protocols with larger screens.