By Joshua Kato
In a collaborative effort to combat the impact of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the livestock industry, the Managing Animal Health and Acaricides for a Better Africa (MAHABA) convened on December 6 and 7 to prioritise key areas for tick control.
A total of $1.1b of losses is attributed to ticks and tick-borne diseases in Uganda annually.
The stakeholders, including veterinarians, extension staff, farmers, processors and government representatives, identified several key areas, which include sensitisation and training of field personnel and farmers to enhance their understanding of effective tick control measures, establishing a multi-stakeholder platform for collaboration.
They plan to strengthen diagnostic infrastructure and capacity to test for tick resistance and other animal health-related issues, facilitate access to affordable financing for farmers to acquire tailored acaricide application equipment through credit and saving institutions owned by farmers’ groups (SACCOS) and review existing policy and implementation of tick control in the country.
Dr Anna Rose Ademun, the commissioner animal health emphasised the need for a national-level approach on tick control and the importance of using physical barriers to separate and zone acaricides.
Ademun, who is also the chief veterinary officer in the agriculture ministry, also highlighted the ongoing efforts with the Food and Agriculture Organisation to support the diagnosis of tick resistance to acaricides at regional laboratory centres.
To support farmers in managing tick infestations, the MAHABA Initiative pre-launched the TickAcademy app, which will be available on Google and Apple stores by the end of January, 2024. It will provide educational content for farmers and extension staff.
Materials will also be available in Luganda and Runyakitara. Enrique Hernández Pando, the head of commercial development and impact at GALVmed, emphasised the significance of the MAHABA Initiative in addressing acaricide resistance issues.
Nishal Gunpath, the country director South and Sub-Saharan Africa for Elanco Animal Health, expressed the company’s commitment to the MAHABA Initiative.
