Responding to the technical training needs from Penzhou project site, technical training on INTRODUCTION TO NECROPSY was held in Penzhou from May 6th to 7th with the guidance from Sichuan Animal Disease Inspection Institute and the close cooperation from Penzhou Animal Husbandry Bureau.

A two-day long training was held with well-structured content design and good training objectives. These were: to improve participants’ basic necropsy knowledge; to demonstrate how to deliver a good technical training and create an opportunity to develop the Pengzhou MTOT team. About 20 participants from Penzhou, Dayi and Chongzhou cities attended the training.

Deputy Director Mr. Liu Chaogang chaired the opening ceremony. Mr. Liang Wenbing, project coordinator of Sichuan PMO delivered a welcome speech. Sichuan project LTTA Paul Schuster, Canadian experts Peter O’ Donnell, Jane Prichard and Lynda Nicholls attended the opening ceremony. Mr. Liang Wenbing expressed welcoming remarks on behalf of PMO Director, Mr. Shi Qian. Mr. Liang expressed thanks to the Canadian experts technical support of the Pilot county, gave positive congratulations of the project implementation in Penzhou and expected good success for the necropsy training. Participants were encouraged to participate in the training, ask questions, share ideas and take the opportunity to learn from Canadian experts on pig and poultry necropsy technique.

One the first day of training, three Canadian experts delivered different topics on pig and poultry necropsy. Paul delivered INTRODUCTION TO NECROPSY. Starting with the question ‘why are necropsies are important to do?’. Basic necropsy steps and concepts were presented. The presentation emphasized the point that ‘ANIMALS THAT DIED OF DISEASE ARE NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION!’ This key concept related to zoonotic public health and was well accepted by participants. Peter delivered the topic ‘HOW TO DO BASIC PIG NECROPSY’. A large number of pictures were used as examples to demonstrate the basic steps. Jane delivered the last technical topic- ‘CHICKEN NECROPSY’. In this session, group discussion, pictures and video clips were used to demonstrate how to deliver the complicated 24-step technical training as well as how to deliver participatory adults training through various kinds of teaching methods. On the second day, 20 participants were coached by 4 Canadian trainers on pig necropsy and chicken necropsy through demonstration and hands-on practice. Five pigs and ten chickens were humanely euthanized and used for the teaching. Participants experienced how to conduct real animal necropsy based on the theory learning from first day.

The training ended with good evaluation results. The good-better-best satisfaction reaction shows 1%, 9% and 90%. Most participants stated that they prefer this kind of hands-on technical training. They liked the necropsy part as well as the interesting training format. They expressed that they will apply their learning into their future training work.