Veterinary service provision in Bangladesh's poultry industry: A qualitative study on the roles of field veterinarians.

Poultry health management plays a significant role in ensuring food safety and economic stability in Bangladesh. Field veterinarians are key contributors to poultry healthcare, yet their activities, challenges and impact remain underexplored. This study examined the roles and responsibilities of both government and private field veterinarians from across the national poultry industry, focusing on veterinary care, disease prevention, and biosecurity implementation within the broader context of One Health. We examined recruitment processes, facilities and challenges encountered by these veterinarians and how they think these factors impact the delivery of veterinary services to poultry farmers. This qualitative study was conducted between June 2021 and July 2023 with 62 field veterinarians from across Bangladesh completing semi-structured interviews. MAXQDA software was used for the analysis of interview transcripts, generation of inductive codes and identification of emerging themes. Inductive analysis revealed a recurring pattern across interviews indicating that employer priorities shape veterinarians' responsibilities in poultry health. This influence can be explained by eight interrelated themes that emerged from the interviews. Findings highlighted field veterinarians' contribution to disease prevention, vaccination, biosecurity enforcement, antimicrobial usage and farmer education. Challenges such as workforce and resource limitations, inadequate farmer compliance, and the need for continuous professional development were described as hindering effective service delivery. Moreover, the veterinarians indicated that variations in recruitment processes, job benefits and workplace conditions significantly influence their ability to deliver optimal poultry health services. We conclude that there is a need for policy reforms to better facilitate delivery and align poultry veterinary services targeting poultry disease prevention with public health objectives and the One Health approach.