Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Livestock mortality in pastoralist herds in Ethiopia and implications for drought response.
- Journal:
- Disasters
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Catley, Andy et al.
- Affiliation:
- Tufts University Africa Regional Office · United States
Plain-English summary
In a study conducted in three pastoralist regions of Ethiopia, researchers looked into why so many livestock were dying during droughts. They found that most of the deaths, between 61.5% and 100%, were due to starvation and dehydration, while diseases caused only a small percentage of the deaths, between 0% and 28.1%. After a drought ends and the rains begin, the risk of disease and death in livestock tends to increase. The researchers suggest that when planning support for farmers during droughts, more focus should be on providing food for the animals rather than just veterinary care, especially since many livestock are at risk of dying from lack of food and water. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of addressing both feeding and health needs of livestock during and after droughts.
Abstract
Participatory epidemiology methods were employed retrospectively in three pastoralist regions of Ethiopia to estimate the specific causes of excess livestock mortality during drought. The results showed that starvation/dehydration accounted for between 61.5 and 100 per cent of excess livestock mortality during drought, whereas disease-related mortality accounted for between 0 and 28.1 per cent of excess mortality. Field observations indicate that, in livestock, disease risks and mortality increase in the immediate post-drought period, during rain. The design of livelihoods-based drought response programmes should include protection of core livestock assets, and it should take account of the specific causes of excess livestock mortality during drought and immediately afterwards. This study shows that, when comparing livestock feed supplementation and veterinary support, relatively more aid should be directed at the former if the objective is to protect core livestock during drought. Veterinary support should consider disease-related mortality in the immediate post-drought period, and tailor inputs accordingly.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24905708/