Uganda

Healthy Livestock, Healthy Households

Uganda has an ancient and rich culture of animal agriculture. Smallholders and pastoralists take great pride in their animals, since animals equal security. Livestock keepers need close ties with their animals to feed and care for them, but these close ties can make disease transmission easier between the animals and between animals and their keepers.

With private partners and a USAID Farmer-to-Farmer grant we are implementing regional trainings to teach smallholders to recognize signs of disease and report them to their District Veterinarian so steps can be taken to control disease before an epidemic occurs.

Our Approach

Early detection is key. Funded by private partners and a USAID Farmer-to-Farmer grant, we will be teaching smallholders to recognize signs of disease before an epidemic occurs. To achieve the scale necessary to create lasting impact, students and faculty from the nearest university will be providing support as interpreters. People in direct contact with the animals will be given the tools and training they need to detect warning signs, and to elicit support from district veterinarians when needed.

We have conducted preliminary household testing using point of care diagnostic tools to determine the level of disease transmission between livestock and their households. We are evaluating a cellscope that can be connected to an iPad, used to take pictures of blood samples that can then be sent to a regional or national lab for diagnosis. We are also working with private partners to evaluate the use of cloud-based disease reporting and remote diagnostics to support control efforts at the community and national level.

By teaching smallholders to recognize signs of disease and by using small on-site diagnostic tools we can cut down on the time it takes from diagnosis to treatment and the transmission of disease from animal to animal and from livestock to people.