Major livestock health constraints and veterinary service delivery system in Arbegona, district of Sidama Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

A study was conducted in 2019 G.C in Sidama Region, Arbegona woreda to identify existing constraints of livestock health and veterinary service delivery system to recommend intervention strategies for sustainable improvement of animal health service delivery. Data were collected by using pre-tested questionnaires, focus group discussion, retrospective data from woreda and observation of infrastructures. The result showed that Mastitis, Ovine Pasteurellosis and Newcastle diseases were the first ranked diseases of cattle, sheep and poultry, respectively in the study area. Most veterinary service delivery centers lacked appropriate facilities to restrain and handle clinical cases and they were not well equipped. 95% of the clinical cases were diagnosed only based on the clinical signs or history alone. Based on veterinarian’s response, shortage of diagnostic and treatment materials including drugs (100%), lack of drug handling and storage room (75.5%) and budget shortage (42.8%) were management related problems while home service need of farmers (85.7%) and less interest of farmers in paid vaccination (64.3%) were farmers’ related constraints. Whereas lack of commitment were the veterinarian related constraints raised by veterinarians themselves. The five years annual budget allocation was very low compared to the planned budget every year in government veterinary clinic. Fulfilling the necessary equipments for diagnosis and treatment, controlling smugglers, crush development in each kebele, awareness creation for farmers and capacity building of animal health assistants could help in improving the livestock health problems and quality of veterinary service delivery system in the district.