From field data to publication: empowering Nigeria’s Frontline In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET) graduates with advanced scientific manuscript writing skills for enhanced research dissemination

The frontline In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET) Programme was formed to build the capacity of the veterinary workforce in the area of veterinary epidemiology. This is to enable veterinarians have the requisite skills to prevent, detect and respond to animal disease outbreak. It was aimed to enhance proficiency in the animal health sector that will translate to an increase in livestock productivity, income generation as well as protecting human health. Veterinary field epidemiologists are the first line of defense against zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases. At the end of the frontline ISAVET Programme, every trainee is expected to write a project in line with the deliverables of the Programme. These projects are usually not published by the graduates of the Programme. The realization of this existing gap in the Programme led to the Organisation of the first Scientific Manuscript Writing Workshop (SMWW) to ensure that the projects of ISAVET graduates are published with the aim of building their writing and communication skills as well as showcase some of the impacts of the training. The training was successful with recommendation from the participants to have more of such trainings for the ISAVET graduates that are yet to be trained on scientific manuscript writing. Furthermore, some lessons were learnt such as the need for participants to come along with their project data set to accommodate further analysis where the need arises. Also, there is a need for the trainees to communicate with their mentors before submitting their manuscripts for assessment during the selection process.