Low input low output animal health programmes: Generating data for their improvement in a pastoral system

Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2 (1984) 481--486

481

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

LOW INPUT LOW O U T P U T A N I M A L H E A L T H PROGRAMMES: I M P R O V E M E N T IN A P A S T O R A L SYSTEM

GENERATING

DATA FOR THEIR

S. C H E M A M i n i s t r y of L i v e s t o c k P.O. Kabete (Kenya)

Development,

Veterinary

Research

Laboratory,

ABSTRACT Chema, S., 1984. L o w input low o u t p u t a n i m a l h e a l t h programmes: g e n e r a t i n g data for their i m p r o v e m e n t in a p a s t o r a l system. Prey. Vet. Med., 2: 481-486. The well exlst

strategies

and goals

known and successful in m a n y parts

of the world.

areas has b e e n difficult. by the v e t e r i n a r i a n ,

areas

teams.

These

of the strategies environment. teams will

in the e x t e n s i v e

In d e v i s i n g

employs

comprehensive

with minimal

input low l i v e s t o c k

livestock

raising

management

Systems

of u n d e r s t a n d i n g

in order to survive packages,

in a h a r s h the r e s e a r c h

rich r e p e r t o i r e

keep his carefully

veterinary

aspect

to be part of P a s t o r a l

seek to b u i l d upon the p a s t o r a l i s t s

that e n a b l e d h i m to s u c c e s s f u l l y livestock

the h e a l t h

teams will h a v e the aim of p r o v i d i n g

the p a s t o r a l i s t

in p a s t o r a l

lack of u n d e r s t a n d i n g ,

system of which

veterinarians

are r e l a t i v e l y

health p r o g r a m s

similar p r o g r a m s

of the low v e t e r i n a r y

is p r e v a l e n t

in A f r i c a will require

Research

owners

animal

A basic p r o b l e m has b e e n

Conversion

mode w h i c h

livestock

Devising

of the p a s t o r a l

is but one component. productivity

of intensive

high input high output

selected

of skills

breeds

of

inputs.

INTRODUCTION

To the extent Africa,

these

that animal

are often

such as R i n d e r p e s t

health programmes

limited

to the c o n t r o l

and Contagious

Bovine

unrealistic

m a y be necessary.

0167-5877/84/$03.00

veterinary

The usual v e t e r i n a r y

of well d e f i n e d

Pleuropneumonia.

are used for trade and are to be e x p o r t e d and often quite

exist in p a s t o r a l

Where

out of the country,

interventions

dictated

interventions

© 1984 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

areas of

epizootics animals

additional by the importer,

h a v e until v e r y

482 recently

been p l a n n e d

traditions

and e x e c u t e d

largely without

L a t e l y new v e t e r i n a r y described

a~ an

(Shwabe,

recourse

has been

and economic

effects

new h o r i z o n s

for the p r o f e s s i o n ,

the v e t e r i n a r i a n

through

in the intensive sociological agents

systems

deficiences

at p r o m o t i n g largely

Higher

livestock

outputs

That these

elaborate

benefit-costs

recently where

Systems

(Gilbert,

cropping

systems

where

by a number

There desert,

Research

livestock

They generally

entirely basis,

Currently

such there

limiting focussed.

animal There

1983).

from the p a s t o r a l

that the p a s t o r a l i s t of the w e s t e r n at g r e a t e r

rate d e s p i t e

is

world. meat

the usual

have been so w e l l d e s c r i b e d

et al.

1982)

Modifications

in which

levels

pastoralist

refer

to systems

to suit e x t e n s i v e being a t e m p t e d

approach

productivity

of w h i c h

referred

subsisting

pastoral

and C o n t a g i o u s campaign

which would

of factors

relate

consisting

would

to here

entirely

is the control

output

or,

Bovine

as pastoral.

which

directly

In them

on a s e l f - s u s t a i n i n g livestock

Pleuropneumonia.

being planned

areas

of

be a

almost

of the m a j o r

concentrate

in the p a s t o r a l

are a number

Africa,

cultivation

b e l o w 600 m m per annum.

In o p t i m i z i n g activity,

J.s an A f r i c a - w i d e

a large p r o p o r t i o n

which

are the areas

as R i n d e r p e s t

The other v e t e r i n a r y

outputs

sq. km of s u b - s a h a r a n

and savanna These

on livestock.

(Davies,

OUTPUT

have r a i n f a l l

20 m i l l i o n

related

to the need for n e w approaches.

and S h a n n e r

activity.

based are

researchers.

14 m i l l i o n

the v e t e r i n a r y

epizootics

methodologies

in c o m p u t e r

h e r d i n g may be the only a c t i v i t y

OF P A S T O R A L

high risk enterprise.

known

failure

point

"re-toolong"

are few livestock

been targeted

have a high

have o p e n e d

The techniques

of the r a n c h e r

therefore

1980,

is p r e d o m i n a n t

are about

livestock

calculations,

et al.

arid g r a s s l a n d

live about

have

schemes

of l i v e s t o c k

0PTI~IZATION

version

which

in terms of infectious

are a l r e a d y

higher

veterinary

largely by

training

r e s t e d on the a s s u m p t i o n

a less s o p h i s t i c a t e d

offtakes.

there

causes

medicine

the study of p r o d u c t i o n

economics.

where

or advice.

industry,

new a p p r o a c h e s

him additional

veterinary

in what has been

have been d e v e l o p e d

and where d i s e a s e

merely

The F a r m i n g

drawn towards These

increasingly,

livestock

or b i o - c h e m i c a l

have been

giving

and,

puzzles

Past attempts areas

increasingly

age-old

in v e t e r i n a r y

from the livestock

of disease.

skills

opinions

have been added

revolution"

Under p r e s s u r e

epidemiology

data h a n d l i n g

to outside

approaches

"epidemiological

1982).

along well e s t a b l i s h e d

against

Rinderpest.

on health p r o b l e m s

is less sharply

limit animal

productivity,

to the d e l i b e r a t e

strategies

483 of the pastoralist.

Both of these approaches have a p a r t to play.

Because of their a b i l i t y to cause w i d e - s p r e a d devastation, important to keep e p i z o o t i c disease in check.

it is o b v i o u s l y

For some, such as R i n d e r p e s t

new m a n i f e s t a t i o n s and an a p p a r e n t altered v i r u l e n c e need some research. In some countries of East A f r i c a where routine annual v a c c i n a t i o n s have been in p r o g r e s s for m a n y y e a r s R i n d e r p e s t antibody is appearing in small ruminants and high m o r t a l i t y has been r e p o r t e d in w i l d l i f e (Rossiter et al.

1983).

Following a R i n d e r p e s t o u t b r e a k among buffalo

in the Serengeti

(Tanzania)

in April 1982, an extensive sampling of

w i l d e b e e s t arriving from the Serengeti on their annual m i g r a t i o n to K e n y a failed to y i e l d virus and over 200 w i l d e b e e s t sampled were also negative for R i n d e r p e s t antibody.

There has been no R i n d e r p e s t in K e n y a

despite the d i s t u r b i n g p r e s e n c e of a n t i b o d y for extensive vaccinations, a purely v e t e r i n a r y research activity aimed at u n d e r s t a n d i n g the factors c o n t r i b u t i n g to the a p p a r e n t benign R i n d e r p e s t virus in K e n y a as o p p o s e d to the v i r u l e n c e elsewhere in the region and in W e s t Africa. In order to m a x i m i l e the value of his inputs in p a s t o r a l situations when immediate epizootic m o r t a l i t y is less of an issue, the v e t e r i n a r i a n will need to start by u n d e r s t a n d i n g the total system in w h i c h he w o u l d operate.

This will n e c e s s i t a t e his w o r k i n g as p a r t of a Pastoral S ~ s t e m

R e s e a r c h team including a v a r i e t y of other researcher whose expertise w o u l d contribute d i r e c t l y to his u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the place of disease in the whole galaxy of p r o d u c t i o n constraints e x i s t i n g in the pastoral areas. In so doing t r a d i t i o n a l isolationism will have to be overcome.

The long

e s t a b l i s h e d tendency of the v e t e r i n a r i a n to work by himself is largely m a t c h e d by an equally strong tendency even among scientists who term themselves

"Systems" r e s e a r c h e r s to exclude him from their teams or to

invite h i m for r e t r o s p e c t i v e studies to explain unusual d i s e a s e or m o r t a l i t y patterns.

At other times v e t e r i n a r y inputs are only u s e d by

n o n - v e t e r i n a r i a n s as an i n d u c e m e n t to the p a s t o r a l i s t to gain c o o p e r a t i o n for other studies whose benefits are less obvious to the livestock owner. What is needed is for the v e t e r i n a r i a n to p e r c e i v e h i m s e l f and to be r e g a r d e d by other p a s t o r a l systems workers as an integral and useful t e a m of scientists.

The effect of his interventions on the entire p a s t o r a l eco-

system can be judged along those of the other systems scientists.

The

common interest w o u l d be to create conditions in w h i c h the p a s t o r a l i s t will attain a sustainable and improving q u a l i t y of life w h i l e at the same time s a f e g u a r d i n g his fragile environment.

484 VETERINARY

EPIDEMIOLOGY

In r e c e n t years, economic emerged

AND E C O N O M I C S

as m u c h

necessity, as a serious

with computer

approaches

will

in both e p i d e m i o l o g y

he uses

to achieve

this is done a n a l y s i s

mortem

diagnosis

in o r d e r

round mating b o r n during

a n d accept

either

between

with

vaccination

results.

from p a s t o r a l

the number of female tribes,

of a l t e r n a t i v e these

strategies

or c h e m o t h e r a p e u t i c

viability

of m a n y

rested

to o p t i m i z e

male

surplus

m a y be no m a r k e t a b l e predicated

pastoralist

on milk,

the p a s t o r a l i s t ,

offtake.

males

An alternative

fail.

in m a l e

strategies,

As a p a p e r

projects

may

and the a v a i l a b i l i t y epidemiologist

not

"calf-saving"

exercise,

such

Under

Where,

in the r a n g e l a n d s

presumption actual

animals

may be w i l l i n g

of

and have

conditions

sought

there

or other d e v e l o p m e n t

on the other h a n d

food h a b i t s

of m o r e m a l e

at a fair price,

w o u l d be to p r o m o t e

with

as the p a s t o r a l i s t

misdirected

and v e t e r i n a r y

alternative

survival

a m e a t based e c o n o m y

the

and there

is t h e r e f o r e

is likely

to o c c u r

less

and

to sell and t h e r e b y

sustain

strategy.

strategy

for m e a t based p r o j e c t s

the areas m o s t e f f i c i e n t

scant a t t e n t i o n

development

livestock

animal

in animals

sense.

on this w o u l d

has a d o p t e d

These

on a m e a t p r o d u c t i o n

surplus

will occur

A veterinary

campaigns.

the

mortality

of the h a b i t a t

may recommend

likely

unsuccessfully

slaughter

animals.

aridity

post-

supply m a y a l l o w year-

mortality

food habits.

m a y even make e c o n o m i c

Economic

arid areas,

compete

deliberate

and

requirements.

of death are

high n e o n a t a l

Differential or through

A f r i c a have u s u a l l y

Amazingly

and the e c o n o m i c

or d e t a i l e d

causes

In the m o r e

as the n e o n a t e s

for milk.

pastoral

and a c c e p t a n c e

or survival

patterns

the immediate

the r e s u l t i n g

naturally

seek to m a x i m i z e

reliance

usually

of the p a s t o r a l i s t

to e n s u r e year r o u n d m i l k

the dry m o n t h s

the p a s t o r a l i s t

project

has

Special

are to be drawn

his basic

of m o r t a l i t y

to d e t e r m i n e

to y i e l d quite m i s l e a d i n g pastoralist,

campaigns

inferences

need w i l l be a good u n d e r s t a n d i n g

the strategies

familiar

tools

need to be e m p l o y e d

Unless

differ

analytical

are being developed.

if m e a n i n g f u l

as for sheer

to economics

studies.

A fundamental

animals

Elegant

enquiry

linked

facilities

of disease

veterinary

scholarly

epidemiology

discipline.

associated

aspects

for genuine

veterinary

planners.

has b e e n p a i d

Optimization

in the arid zones

milk producer

to this animal

of camel p r o d u c t i o n

- the camel.

by arid r a n g e l a n d s with their

superlor

485 milk production would permit

and their

less

the p a s t o r a l i s t

severe d e g r a d a t i v e

effects

to be less d e p e n d a n t

stock and pave the way for their a v a i l a b i l i t y

on the e c o s y s t e m

on cattle

and small

to the meat market.

DISCUSSION

Due to a m u l t i t u d e until r e c e n t l y pastoralist areas have meat

of factors

received

remains largely

outstanding

to manage

concentrated

successes.

and there

inputs,

reluctance

the cost of these low p o p u l a t i o n

movement

of the p a s t o r a l i s t

Recent

awareness

studies

and a p p r a i s i n g making

in i n t e n s i v e strategies

farming

and goals

well known.

hy p a s t o r a l i s m or economic goals

livestock

raising

inferences.

inputs

Devising understanding

husbandry

findings

of the p a s t o r a l i s t decisions

for centuries.

programmes

Here

- are c o m p a r a t i v e l y characterized

Epidemiological

unrelated

projects

veterinary

studies

to the p a s t o r a l i s t ' s

from such studies

of h i g h outputs,

and the basis

is

especially

farming

and lead to u n s o u n d

recommendations

comprehensive

epidemiological

programmes

systems,

programmes

the list of livestock

of successful

complex management conditions

Where

in the e x p e c t a t i o n

l e n g t h e n y e t further

rough

with constant

careful

populations.

are not well understood.

of v e t e r i n a r y

are sure to y i e l d m i s l e a d i n g

and faulty

associated

to v e t e r i n a r y

among s e d e n t a r y

and n o m a d i s m

assessment

low

developmental

of the u s u a l l y

of u n d e r t a k i n g

- w h i c h are largely m o n e t a r y

The e x t e n s i v e

commodity

The r e l a t i v e l y

impact of v e t e r i n a r y

contributions

areas

of milk Male animals

and his animals.

the e c o n o m i c

important

stock.

has not e n c o u r a g e d

and d i f f i c u l t i e s

of the importance

already

has e m p l o y e d

they are a m a r k e t a b l e

to sell female therefore

densities

has been lack of

arid areas.

tend to be h i g h b e c a u s e

terrain,

the

in the m a i n not b e e n

Maximization

in the more

in life before

from the areas

of

and outside

for failure

and his livestock.

in the arid

as a source

that the p a s t o r a l i s t

strategy

early

is extreme output

reason

have

and the

programs

inside

These p r o g r a m m e s

survival

is a fundamental

inputs

Livestock

populations

The p r i m a r y

of the basic

tend to be e l i m i n a t e d

in A f r i c a have not,

at their e x p l o i t a t i o n

sedentary

both the rangelands

production

economic

disadvantaged.

home countries.

understanding

areas

a great deal of d e v e l o p m e n t a l

severly

for u r b a n and other

pastoralists

the p a s t o r a l

conclusions are aimed at

the likely o u t c o m e

is to

w h i c h have failed.

projects

will n e e d greater

for his routine

which have e n a b l e d h i m to survive

but often under h a r s h

486 For this other

understanding,

scientists

with

the v e t e r i n a r i a n a common

as a w h o l e

including

vegetation

and animals,

as rainfall, be p o s s i b l e and economic

the p a s t o r a l i s t ,

the e f f e c t

standpoint,

need

to work with

the p r o d u c t i o n

as well as the c o n t r i b u t i n g

water d i s t r i b u t i o n to v i e w

will

aim of u n d e r s t a n d i n g

and d r o u g h t of disease,

system

limits of range abiot£c

probability. from both

teams of

the pastoral

factors

It will

such

then

the e p i d e m i o l o g i c a l

in proper p e r s p e c t i v e .

REFERENCES

Davies, G,, 1983. D e v e l o p m e n t of V e t e r i n a r y V e t e r i n a r y Record, 112:5~-53

Epidemiology.

Gilbert, E.H. Norman, D.W. and Wich, F.E., 1980. Research: A Critical Appraisal. M.S.U. Rural Paper No. 6 East lansing, Michigan, U.S.A.

F a r m i n g Systems Development

R o s s i t e r , P.B. , Jesset, D.M. , [;afula, J.S. , Karstad, L. , C h e m a , S. , Taylor, W.P., Rowe, L.W., Nyange, J.C., Otaru, M., M[~mbala, M., and Scott, G.R., 1983. The R e - e m e r g e n c e of R i n d e r p e s t as a Threat in East Africa, 1979-1982 (In Press). Schwabe, C.W., 1982. The C u r r e n t V e t e r i n a r y Medicine. Part I.

Epidemiological Revolution Prev. Vet. Med., 1:5-15.

in

Shanner, W.W., Phillip, P.F., and Schmell, W.R., 1982. Farming Systems R e s e a r c h and D e v e l o p m e n t g u i d e l i n e s for D e v e l o p i n g Countries. W e s t v i e w Press, Colorado, U.S.A.