Abstract
Livestock are a major cornerstone for livelihoods of smallholders in the highlands of Ethiopia. However, infectious diseases are a key constraint in livestock production affecting productivity and food security. This study aimed to understand livestock producers’ perception on importance and epidemiology of livestock diseases. Participatory tools using focus group discussions were used to identify and rank livestock species, major livestock diseases, and their epidemiological patterns in smallholder systems. The study covered 17 districts in four regions, with two or three kebeles (smallest administrative unit) included in each district. To capture views of women and men, separate focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted. Data collected through proportional piling were used in generalized linear model analysis. Taking sheep as a reference, cattle were significantly the most preferred species with the odds of cattle scoring higher than sheep being 2.08 times (P = 0.000). Sheep and poultry were equally the second most important livestock, followed by goat and equine. There were no statistically significant differences between men and women FGD groups and between the four regions in their preference for livestock species. Twelve out of 28 identified livestock diseases were mentioned by at least 10% of FGDs in their list of five most important diseases. Blackleg, foot, and mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, anthrax, and bovine pasteurellosis were ranked as the top five diseases by both men and women focus groups. Reasons for high scores included suddenness of death, zoonosis risks, animal age groups and species affected, frequency of occurrence, rate of transmission in herds, curability, and inefficient vaccination. Seasonality and agro-ecology were also factors associated with disease occurrence. The study also documents that adult men and women are more involved in activities related to disease transmission compared with other family members. When asked about impacts of diseases, loss of livelihood, displacement, and infection with zoonoses were mentioned, with women considered equally affected as men. In conclusion, participatory tools allowed understanding disease priorities of and their perceived epidemiology in smallholder systems. The perceptions and priorities of men and women are very similar, and both need to be involved in designing health management interventions. Based on the findings of this study, the intervention strategies listed in the 2013 animal health strategy of Ethiopia (MoA and ILRI 2013) seem pertinent and need to be implemented to overcome the challenges of diseases.
Highlights
Rural Ethiopia is home for 87% of the country’s 100 million people
Ethiopia is endemic to a number of livestock diseases, including OIE-listed diseases such as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), lumpy skin disease (LSD), foot and
Five most important livestock diseases were identified and the local/traditional name of each disease or syndrome, and its clinical signs were described by the focus group discussions (FGD) groups, which were used by the local veterinarians who facilitated the FGDs to translate the diseases/disease syndromes into their equivalent scientific names
Summary
Rural Ethiopia is home for 87% of the country’s 100 million people. The smallholder farmers in the highland mixed livestock-crop production system rely heavily on livestock for their livelihoods, livestock serving as source of cashEthiopia is endemic to a number of livestock diseases, including OIE-listed diseases such as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), lumpy skin disease (LSD), foot andTrop Anim Health Prod (2020) 52:1745–1757 mouth disease (FMD), Newcastle disease (NCD), Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), sheep and goat pox (SGP), and African horse sickness (AHS) (NEPAD 2005). Ethiopia is endemic to a number of livestock diseases, including OIE-listed diseases such as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), lumpy skin disease (LSD), foot and. Besides affecting the production of livestock products, livestock diseases have other impacts in the highland mixed crop-livestock system, namely their impact on work performance of oxen which could lead to severe food insecurity and poverty. A 2005 report (NEPAD 2005) estimated annual loss of about Birr 1.5–2.5 billion from the export market due to animal diseases. Diseases cause huge economic loss to producers and livestock exporters. A study of five cattle exporting enterprises with 4321 bulls kept for export at quarantines found infection rates of 12.9% for FMD and 8.0% for CBPP and estimated financial losses of about USD 241, 2341 due to the diseases between November 2013 and May 2014 (Birhanu 2014). Ethiopia is endemic to a wide range of such zoonotic diseases (MoA and ILRI 2013)
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