Veterinary Drug Utilization Behaviour of Small-scale Dairy Farms in Three Districts of Oromia Region

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Small scale dairy farms around the Addis Ababa milk and milk products value chain covers a significant portion of the milk demands of Ethiopian people. The demand for dairy and meat products is rapidly increasing resulting in the expansion of dairy and fattening farms. Likewise, a wide variety of antimicrobials (AMs) have been used for a variety of purposes. This coupled with the poor awareness level of farmers regarding antimicrobial drug residue (AMDR) in animals’ products pose a great threat to public health. This study is therefore conducted to assess the current antimicrobial utilization and post-administration management practice of livestock producers in the study area. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 90 purposively selected smallholder dairy farms in 3 districts of the Oromia region. All farms (n=90) reported the use of at least one class of antimicrobial for a variety of purposes. Anthelminthics and antibiotics (87.8% each), antiprotozoals (58.9%), multivitamins and other commercial supplements (42.2%) were the most frequently used veterinary products in the study area. About two-thirds (63.3%) of the respondents purchase and use drugs without prescription. Unrestricted veterinary drug access (X2=9.03, p=0.003) and the perception of high veterinary service costs (X2=11.1, p=0.001) were found to have a strong association with unprescribed drugs use. AMs were used for treatment (49.4%), prophylactic (18.6%), growth promotion (18.6%), and fattening (17.8%) purposes. Most of the respondents (57.8%) have no awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in milk and milk products. A strong association between the status of training and awareness level was observed, indicating the vital role of training in enhancing awareness level. A small majority (53.3%) of the respondent adhere to the recommended drug withdrawal period (DWP). Similar studies should be conducted in wider areas along the major milk value chain to get a big picture of the drug utilization status of dairy farms. Future works should quantify the level of veterinary drug residue (VDR) in dairy products.