ABSTRACT
Dairy cattle reared in western Kenya are exposed to medium to high levels of trypanosomosis risk. The social background, farm characteristics and dairy cattle productivity of 90 and 30 randomly selected farmers from medium- and high-risk trypanosomosis areas, respectively, were compared. All the 120 farmers were visited between July and August 2002. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. The results showed that increased trypanosomosis risk represented by an increase in disease prevalence in cattle of 1% to 20% decreased the density of dairy cattle by 53% and increased the calving interval from 14 to 25 months. The increased risk was also associated with a significant increase in cattle mortalities and in a lactation period of 257 to 300 days. It was concluded that removal of the trypanosomosis constraint on dairy production would lead to expansion of dairying since the domestic demand for dairy products is expected to increase.
Subject(s)
Dairying/methods , Reproduction , Trypanosomiasis, Bovine/epidemiology , Analysis of Variance , Animals , Cattle , Female , Kenya/epidemiology , Lactation , Population Density , Postpartum Period , Pregnancy , Risk Factors , SeasonsABSTRACT
Since the liberalization of animal health services in Kenya in the early 1990s, community-based animal health workers (CBAHWs) have become an important alternative animal health delivery channel in the country's marginal areas. However, professional veterinary practitioners have questioned the effectiveness of CBAHW programmes in animal health service delivery in Kenya. This is partly due to lack of information about their performance and partly because CBAHW programmes were implemented before the necessary changes in the existing legal, policy and institutional frameworks had been made. This study was designed to provide such information. In this regard, the productivity of livestock herds among farmers who utilized the services of CBAHWs was compared to that of livestock belonging to farmers who utilized the services of professional veterinarians. The annual live births per mature female (birth ratio) and the proportion of young stock to mature females (breeding index) was computed over a period of 3 years in cattle and goat herds under care of CBAHWs and professional veterinarians. The birth ratios in cattle and goats under CBAHWs were not significantly different from those under the care of professional veterinarians (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the breeding index of cattle and goats under the two categories was not statistically different. Besides the CBAHWs providing clinical services, they also created positive externalities through participatory learning enjoyed by neighbouring livestock keepers, who later dispensed with their services. Policy attention is therefore needed to enhance the participation of CBAHWs in animal health service delivery and to appropriately integrate their activities into the existing formal animal health delivery system in Kenya. Interventions that improve the professional development of these workers, with emphasis on areas pertaining to care of young stock, would not only promote the sustainability of CBAHW programmes but would also improve livestock productivity in the country's marginal areas.
Subject(s)
Animal Husbandry/methods , Veterinary Medicine/methods , Animal Husbandry/standards , Animals , Cattle , Community Health Workers , Female , Goats , Health Services, Indigenous , Humans , Kenya , Male , Middle Aged , Veterinarians , Veterinary Medicine/standardsABSTRACT
A household survey was conducted in 21 villages of Kwale district, Kenya, to assess farmers' trypanocidal drug use characteristics for treatment of bovine trypanosomosis and their relationship to drug effectiveness. Descriptive statistical tools were used to summarize the farmers' drug use patterns. The chi-square test was the done to establish the relationship between proper drug use and recovery. The results indicate that the farmers had considerable knowledge about trypanocidal drugs with 82% (n = 65) having used these drugs within 6 months preceding the survey. Cases of incorrect drug use were reported. This study established that there was no significant relationship between correct drug use and recovery of the treated animals, suggesting the presence of drug resistance in Kwale district.
