Access to services and drugs, and practices and knowledge related to antimicrobial resistance, among smallholder pig farmers in Uganda
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Date
2022
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Publisher
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
To mitigate the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), antibiotic use (ABU) in the livestock sector needs to be reduced. In low- and middle-income countries, regulations have shown to be less successful in reducing ABU. Here, a bottom-up approach can complement legal frameworks which requires an understanding of the drivers for ABU. In this study, we investigated the influence of geographic and socioeconomic settings on determinants for ABU among pig farmers in Uganda. The data was collected through a questionnaire (containing 75 questions) in two districts, Lira and Mukono, and comparative statistical analyses were performed. Farmers in Lira had lower access to animal health services, applied disease preventive measures less and used antibiotics more. In Mukono, it was more common to consult a veterinarian in response to disease, while it in Lira was more common to consult an animal health worker. There was no difference in how many that followed treatment instructions from a veterinarian, but it was more common in Lira to follow instructions from pharmacies. The findings support the need for locally tailored AMR-reducing interventions to complement regulations. To accomplish this tailoring, systematic collection of knowledge of farm structures, farm practices and access to animal health services and veterinary drugs is necessary.
Description
The target population of the study was pig farmers (male and female) in Lira and Mukono districts. District Veterinary Officers (DVO) from both districts were informed prior to the study to identify top four sub-counties with highest pig population density to serve as sampling frame. In each sub-county, two villages were randomly selected for the study making a total of eight villages per district and 16 villages in total. From each village, 30 farmers were randomly selected to be enrolled in the study. This resulted in a total sample of 240 farmers from Lira and 242 from Mukono.
Keywords
uganda, farm practices, antibiotic use, smallholders, antibiotic resistance, farmer knowledge