Abstract
Internal parasites are a significant determinant of the productivity of ruminant species in the tropics. Provision of anthelmintics has become a predominant part of animal health interventions in emergency drought responses, aiming to maintain the food conversion efficiency of livestock when pasture is scarce. This study aimed to assess the owner-perceived impact of anthelmintic provision on the health and productivity of small ruminants in the drought-prone counties of Isiolo and Marsabit, northern Kenya. Participatory approaches were used to retrospectively measure differences in key indicators of livestock output before and after anthelmintic administration. Results showed that there was no perceived impact of anthelmintic administration during droughts on small ruminant health and productivity, but some benefit of anthelmintic administration during rainy season was perceived. The study also provided some evidence of potential differences in the epidemiology of internal parasites between the counties. These findings may be utilised to inform future livestock intervention programmes in drought-prone areas.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the World Animal Protection (WAP) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) for their financial support towards this study. We are very grateful to the pastoralists and their families who participated in the data collection process and the chiefs and district veterinary officers of the locations where the study was carried out. We thank Adano Umuro, Boru Tarolle and Golla Roba for their assistance in questionnaire administration and facilitation of participatory appraisals. We give thanks to the assistance of Dr. Sief Maloo, Diana Onyango, Isaac Lubutsi (VSF Suisse) and Stephen Kimondiu (VSF Germany) in the data collection process.
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Okell, C.N., Mariner, J., Allport, R. et al. Anthelmintic administration to small ruminants in emergency drought responses: assessing the impact in two locations of northern Kenya. Trop Anim Health Prod 48, 493–500 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0979-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0979-0
Keywords
- Livestock
- Pastoralism
- Drought
- Anthelmintics
- Impact assessment