Research
Activity II: Animal Health Services and Use at the Household Level

Problem Statement and Approach

Identification of prevalent animal health problems perceived by producers in the Machakos and Coast sites; current treatments and practices reported by the sample; costs, availability, and farmer's use of veterinary services for the KDPG.

Progress

In Machakos and the Coast, a survey has been conducted on the prevalence of animal diseases, use of animal health services, and practices used by farmers. This was already reported on (see annual report 1994-1995). Records on services provided to KDPG by the vet will be recorded as well as the costs incurred by the farmer were captured when the information was available and has been used to calculate net value of the KDPG enterprise (see KDPG Component section in this annual report). A baseline report on animal health diseases and practices used by producers was developed. Data gathered and processed on the costs of treatment of small ruminant prevention and treatment of diseases was calculated and used in the evaluation of the KDPG.

Another level of analysis at the household level was initiated. It consisted of the analysis of small holder production systems and their expenditures on animal health according to animal species and disease problems. This is on-going research conducted in Koibatek, Kitui and Kajiado, as well as the CCPP testing sites. This has been partially reported in Activity I, under Demand for Animal Health Services. Data in Koibatek was gathered during 1996. Sixty farmers were interviewed and the information has been entered and cleaned and is being analyzed. The Kitui sites have been identified and the sample frame developed. Surveys will be conducted in January of 1997. The survey has been field tested. Sixty farmers will be interviewed here, as well as an additional 60 will be interviewed in Kajiado towards April. The five farmers participating in the CCPP vaccine testing experiment were also interviewed.

Koibatek, according to the responses obtained is an area where CCPP is considered a problem by farmers, ranked first as the most frequently mentioned. East Coast Fever was second. I was also interesting to find, that although Koibatek is a district (formerly part of Baringo) experiencing vaccinating campaigns, 60 percent of the farmers were unaware of the existence of the vaccine for CCPP. Fifty percent of the farmers had participated in vaccination campaigns for other diseases. Valuation questions as well as current costs to deal with CCPP were also elicited. Mortality morbidity and frequency of outbreaks have been recorded. Farmer currently deal with CCPP by antibiotic treatments which they tend to administer themselves.

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