Voices From the Field: Community-Engaged Qualitative Study on Veterinary Service Delivery Gaps in Aari Zone, Southern...

Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa, yet veterinary service delivery remains inadequate, particularly in remote rural and pastoral areas, undermining livestock health and rural livelihoods. Persistent gaps in workforce, infrastructure and supply chains exacerbate disease risks and economic vulnerability. Despite the recognized value of participatory approaches for improving service equity and sustainability, evidence from Southern Ethiopia remains limited. This study aimed to explore community experiences and perceptions of veterinary service delivery in the Aari Zone of Southern Ethiopia, identifying key barriers and opportunities for improvement through a community-engaged qualitative approach. Six semi-structured focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 54 participants across four districts, and data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged: (1) Availability and Accessibility, such as severe shortage and instability of veterinary professionals, long travel distances (up to 4 h), inadequate clinics and cattle crushes, and lack of emergency/night-time services; (2) Quality and Resources, including irregular drug and vaccine supply, absence of diagnostic facilities, low professional skill levels and poor infrastructure; and (3) Economic and Cultural Factors, consisting of high private drug costs, poverty and forage scarcity and continued reliance on traditional practices where modern services fail, despite no cultural resistance to modern care. This study provides the first qualitative evidence from Aari Zone situating local veterinary service gaps within Ethiopia's broader extension system. Findings underscore the need for integrated policy responses, including workforce stabilization, mobile veterinary units, diagnostic capacity building, gender-sensitive training and affordability measures. Embedding veterinary services within farmer training centres and adopting One Health principles can enhance resilience and equity in rural animal health systems.