Case definitions for priority animal diseases in Uganda

Dr. Watuwa carrying out ballotment test to detect pregnancy in an African Lioness during annual health checks at UWEC (Photo by Kibuuka Diana)

THE ministry of Agriculture, Animal industry and fisheries has developed a guide for animal health practitioners and stakehoders involved in disease surveillance and detection. The booklet aims to improve on the reporting of the country’s priority animal diseases for appropriate and timely action.

It is hoped that it will improve animal disease surveillance and outbreaks investigation.

” I would like to impore all animal health workers and other key stakeholders to utilize the case definitions and action thresholds in this booklet for detection of all priority animal diseases in real time to allow immediate response and consquently strengthen the animal sector in Uganda,” said Maj Gen David Kasura – Kyomukama PS Ministriy of Agricutlure, Animal industry and Fishers in a forword.

Case definitions are important elements of animal health surveillance systems. They ensure comparability and consistency of surveillance data from community to district, national and international levels.

Animal health workers in Uganda have relied on case definitions developed by WOAH and FAO. However, these guidelines don’t include some animal diseases of importance to Uganda and some diseases have different clinical presentations.

Uganda currently has 14.2 million cattle, 16 million goats, 4.5 million sheep, 4.1 million pigs, 47.6 million poultry and 1.5 million dogs and cats.

The country has a unique diversified wildlife population of 13 species of primates (more than half the world’s endangered mountain gorillas) and five (5) species of carnivores. Uganda also has over 1,000 species of birds and hosts migratory birds from Asia and Europe. The annual national animal productivity growth is 4.6%. Between 1971 and 2020, meat production increased from 116,541 tonnes to 439,323 tonnes.

Milk production increased from 2.51 billion liters to approximately 3.85 billion liters between 2018 and 2022, an average annual growth rate of 11%, which is among the highest of any sector in the Ugandan economy. The contribution of livestock to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is at least 4% while wildlife contributes 10% in the form of tourist resources, employment and foreign exchange revenue.

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