Indigenous Communities Receive Training to Combat the Screwworm

• Representatives from Indigenous territories in Costa Rica participated in a theoretical-practical workshop organized by IICA

The CATIE campus (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) hosted a key workshop on June 3 and 4 to combat the New World Screwworm (NWS). This event was organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in collaboration with APHIS/USDA and CONAI.

The workshop brought together representatives from Indigenous territories of Costa Rica, with the aim of collectively building communication and training strategies adapted to their contexts, and forming a group of spokespersons who can replicate the knowledge in their communities.

The sessions addressed both theoretical and practical aspects, including how to recognize the disease, its impact on livestock and food security, and good livestock practices to prevent and treat NWS cases. This approach was appreciated by Bryan Pérez, social promoter of CONAI from the Huetar community and a workshop participant.

In the words of Luis Antolín Rodríguez, from Alto de San Antonio: “I learned a lot about the screwworm and many things I didn’t know. I’m taking home useful information for my family, community, and neighbors. We want to be an example for others.”

The workshop also served to demystify common misconceptions. “I used to think that the screwworm was the same as the fly, but now I know that’s not the case, and I learned how to prevent it and treat wounds to avoid attracting the fly,” shared Deisy Cabraca, from Alta Talamanca. “It was a space that allowed us to learn something no one had ever told us before,” added Ingrid Segura, from Alto Chirripó.

From CATIE, Karina Poveda from the Unit of Women, Rural Youth and Indigenous Communities, emphasized the importance of adapting methodologies and tools to local cultural realities: “Scientific and local knowledge were both validated. The workshop focused on respectful mediation, building training spaces based on cultural relevance.”

Likewise, CATIE's Director General, Dr. Luis Pocasangre, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to this type of initiative, emphasizing that “this is a health emergency affecting domestic animals, wildlife, and even people. Training these individuals is key so they can serve as spokespersons in their territories—which are often remote and have limited access to resources—and help prevent and properly treat cases.”.