Dairy farming has become a growing part of the national income in Bangladesh. It has important role in the reduction of poverty and rise in self-employment of youth. Contribution of Livestock in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is 1.54% & GDP growth rate of Livestock is 3.4%. Total Cattle population is 240.86 lakh & milk production is 94.06 lakh Metric ton (DLS 2017-18), which have irrefutable role for fulfilling the demand of protein. The national policy has transformed most of our dairy cows from local indigenous breed to cross-bred dairy cows. Dairy farming in Bangladesh is also intensive type due to shortage of lands. One of the main challenges in this farming situation is to keep the udders of the cows healthy. The most important disorder of the udder is mastitis, which causes economic loss to dairy industry. In fact, this is the most economically important disease of dairying in the world and Bangladesh followed by reproductive problems and lameness.  Mastitis has public health significance as well. Most of the microorganisms causing mastitis in animals are pathogenic to human & contamination of milk is also an important factor in terms of public health hazards as it directly spreads milk born infections to human. Among Asiatic country prevalence of Sub-clinical mastitis in Pakistan 30.40-60%, India 70%, South Korea 34-54.30%, China 54.3%, Iran 29.03%. In Bangladesh, Prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis is 51.3%. The sub-clinical mastitis has major impact on milk production and can spread the pathogens to other susceptible cows causing clinical mastitis.

To monitor and control this situation there are national platforms and programs in the developed countries. To establish a similar program in the low-income countries or developing world setting, an udder health control research program was started in Bangladesh with the financial support from the Swedish government (Swedish Research Council-Vetenskapsrådet) and partnerships with the National Veterinary Institute, Sweden, Utrecht University and Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands and Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Bangladesh in 2016. Most of the field and laboratory activities have already been completed. To share the findings with dairy farmers and receiving feedback from them Udder Health Bangladesh is continuously arranging training on udder health for dairy farmers in different parts of Bangladesh.

Udder health Bangladesh (UHB) is concerned with udder health of dairy cows and trying to build up awareness about udder health among dairy farmers of Bangladesh by organizing effective hands on and interactive training program in different parts of Bangladesh. As part of this continuous training, UHB, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) & Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU), Bangladesh, organized A DAY Long “Dairy Farmers’ Training on Bovine Udder Health” on 28th March in central Auditorium, Sylhet Agricultural University. The program was supported by ACI Animal Health and FAO Bangladesh. Around 100 selected dairy farmers participated in this training.

The objectives of the training was to train farmers on

1. Awareness building among dairy farmers on rational usage of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance.
2. Sharing Mastitis Research findings with dairy farmers.
3. Hands on practice at Dairy farms to develop practical knowledge of Farmers to control mastitis.
4. Necessity of Record keeping of mastitis to improve udder health.
5. Dry off cows to improve udder health.
6. Site selection, housing and ethical management in dairy farm to improve udder health.
7. Selection of suitable breed and Animals to improve udder health.
8.  Feeding management to improve udder health.

The training started with the welcome speech by Prof. Dr. Md. Ahasanul Hoque, UHB and CVASU. Prof. Dr. Mohammed Kawser Hossain, SAU & Prof. Dr. Syed Sayeem Uddin Ahmed, SAU acted as the facilitators of the program. Prof. Dr. Mizanur Rahman UHB & CVASU, shared Mastitis research findings among the dairy farmers.

Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman, National Technical Advisor-One Health Training and Outreach-FAO & BARA, Dhaka, Dhaka, Dr. Nurul Amin, National Consultant, ACI Animal Health, Dr. Md. Farhad Hossain, Divisional Director, DLS, Chattagram, Dr. Md. Shafiqur Rahman, Byre Officer, Central Cattle Breeding Station, Savar, Dhaka, were main resource persons.

Delower Hossain, Lecturer, UHB and SAU, Dr. Shuvo Singha, UHB will also discuss different topics to improve udder health.

In the concluding session of the program Prof. Dr. Md. Matiar Rahman Howlader, Vice-Chancellor, Sylhet Agricultural University will be present as chief guest. Prof. Dr .A.T.M. Mahbub-E-Elahi, Dean, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, SAU, Dr. Atiar Rahman, DLO, DLS, Sylhet & Dr. Md. Amjad Hossain, General Manager, Marketing, ACI Animal Health Division were also be present as special guests,

Prof. Dr, Md. Ahasanul Hoque  summarized the training program and  Prof. Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman  chaired the concluding session.