Improving the water productivity of livestock: an opportunity for poverty reductionLength: pp.57-65

LivestockProductivityWater requirementsPoverty

Improving the water productivity of livestock: an opportunity for poverty reduction

In Ethiopia, intensification of agricultural production is the primary focus of the government’s poverty reduction strategy. Livestock constitute an invaluable resource providing essential goods and services to small-scale poor farmers and their families and communities. Production of high valued livestock products provides a route out of poverty especially where growing urban demand fuels the markets. Water security is a requisite input for livestock production and its resultant contribution to poverty reduction. Typically, one tropical livestock unit (TLU = 250 kg live weight) requires less than 50 litres/day derived from drinking water and moisture in animal feeds. Assuming annual rainfall of 500 to 1000 mm and a stocking rate of one TLU/ha, the drinking water required by livestock is less than 0.2% of the intercepted precipitation. While sufficient high quality water is essential to sustaining livestock production, direct water intake is only of minor significance in terms of livestock water budgets in farming systems and watersheds where the water required for feed production can be up to 5000 litres/TLU per day or 100 times the amount directly consumed. Water productivity of livestock may be high or low depending on the context within which livestock production is evaluated. Livestock produced solely with irrigated forage and grain crops may be very inefficient in terms of water consumed for food produced. However, ‘cut-and-carry’ and grazing production relying on consumption of crop residues and tree fodder can be very efficient since the water used for plant production would have been used with or without livestock feeding on it. The stover or feed is simply a by-product of growing crops and does not require additional water for its production. Livestock also provide rural farmers with additional value in terms of consumable and marketable outputs without incurring significant demand for water. Understanding and managing water productivity of livestock presents opportunities to contribute to poverty reduction. Water productivity varies according to the geographic scale being considered and depends largely on the degree to which water is depleted or available to other users or ecosystem services. Livestock have a profound impact on downstream water resources. In urban and peri-urban areas, livestock production may be an ideal agricultural practice in terms of water productivity if downstream contamination can be avoided. Increasing demand for livestock products implies increased future demand for water that can be expected to rival the water requirements for production of all other food products consumed by the urban population. In many cases, livestock management practices jeopardise water quality, human health and aggravate water mediated land degradation. Research is needed to develop practical strategies to enable poor people in rural, peri-urban and urban areas to better manage livestock so that they can realise poverty reducing benefits and minimise harmful effects on themselves and others. An utmost need exists for community based natural resources management, a critical issue of interest to water and livestock managers. Given the paucity of literature on livestock–water interactions, key areas for future research are highlighted

Hypospadias Repair in Ethiopia: A Five Year Review

BACKGROUND: Hypospadias repair is one of the problematic issues in pediatric surgery. As a result of the multiple complications following the procedure, a variety of techniques have been used and newer methods continue to emerge. There is still controversy regarding the best method of repair. We aimed to determine the outcome of surgery and factors contributing to unfavorable outcomes in children with hypospadias.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review undertaken from September 2009 to August 2014. The research was conducted at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All children who underwent hypospadias repair and had regular follow-up were included in the study.RESULTS: A total of 202 boys aged less than 13 years were assessed. Most surgeries (80.3%) were performed in children older than 18 months. Transverse incised plate urethroplasty (TIP) was frequently performed for distal hypospadias (71.2 %), while transverse ventral preputal flap (TVPF) was the most common procedure done for proximal hypospadias (62.8 %). Overall success rate for first surgery was 55.9 %. There was a high rate of major post-operative complications (44.1%) of which urethrocutaneous fistula (UCF) was the most common (31.2%) followed by meatal stenosis and glans breakdown (7.4 % each). These complications were found to be higher in those who were operated at a later age and those with proximal hypospadias (p=0.03 and p=0.01 respectively). There was also a significant difference among the type of procedures with TIP and TVPF having the least complications (p<0.01).CONCLUSION: From our experience, we found TIP a relatively safe and reliable method of repair for distal hypospadias while TVPF single stage repair was superior in the proximal ones. The high rate of complications in our institution was associated with higher burden of severe hypospadias and older age at surgery.

Study on prevalence of bovine mastitis and its major causative agents in West Harerghe zone, Doba district, Ethiopia

Other bacterial species were isolated at lower rates. Antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that most of the isolates in the study area were found to be highly sensitive to cloxacillin, gentamycin and amoxicillin, and moderately sensitive to ampicillin and oxytetracycline. Nevertheless, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species isolated were resistant to streptomycin and penicillin. Age, parity, stage of lactation and hygienic conditions were found to be important risk factors associated with the occurrence of mastitis

Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef cattle at slaughter and beef carcasses at retail shops in Ethiopia

Background: There is paucity of information regarding the epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in developing countries. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of E. coli O157: H7 associated with beef cattle at processing plants and at retail shops in Ethiopia. Methods: Various samples were collected from beef cattle at slaughter/processing plants, carcass at retail shops and humans at health centers. E. coli O157: H7 was isolated, identified and characterized for antimicrobial resistance, using standard microbiological methods. Results: At the processing plants E. coli O157: H7 was detected in 1.89% of fecal, 0.81% of intestinal mucosal swab, 0.54% of skin swab and 0.54% of carcass internal swab samples. At retail shops it was detected in 0.8% of carcass and 0.8% of cutting board swab samples, while all samples from utensils, hands from workers, and fecal and stool samples were negative. All isolates were resistant to Amoxicillin, moderately resistant to Cefoxitine and Nitrofurantoins but susceptible to other antimicrobials tested. Conclusions: E. coli O157: H7 occurs at low prevalence in beef cattle, and the current sanitary dressing procedures in the processing plants and storage conditions in the retail shops are effective against E. coli O157: H7

Risk Perceptions and Protective Behaviors Toward Bovine Tuberculosis Among Abattoir and Butcher Workers in Ethiopia

Bovine Tuberculosis (BTB) is a serious cause of economic losses and public health threat, especially in developing countries. Humans acquire BTB through consumption of raw or undercooked meat, inhalation of aerosol and occupational exposure. A cross-disciplinary approach to study diseases connecting society and biology helps to understand the ways in which social, cultural, behavioral, and economic circumstances influence a healthy life. The objective of this study was to assess the risk perceptions and protective behaviors toward BTB among abattoir and butcher workers in central Ethiopia. A health belief model was used to generate the desired data following health belief model constructs. A total of 300 meat handlers working in local abattoirs, export abattoirs and butcher houses in Bishoftu, Modjo, Dukem, and Akaki towns of central Ethiopia were selected using a systematic random sampling method. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to assess factors associated with risk of exposure to BTB through the consumption of raw meat. The results showed that among the study participants, 95% heard about BTB and 93% knew that eating raw meat could be a source of BTB for humans. More than 62.7% of the respondents in the high risk group strongly agreed that contracting BTB would prevent them from coming to work, keep them in bed for an extended period of time and cause death. The majority of the respondents believed that free provision of personal protective clothing, compensation with test and slaughter campaigns, television and radio advertisements, educational programs and government-imposed penalties would help in prevention of BTB. Despite the high perceived severity and risk perception, the multivarable logistic regression model showed low-risk protective behavior among male (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2–4.3) and older age (>30) individuals (OR: 14.4 95% CI: 2.1–125.8). The study also noted the importance of media for health education as means for prevention of BTB. The authors strongly recommended the need of promotion of behavioral change toward the consumption of raw meat wich would have potential implications for the public health impacts of zoonotic tuberculosis and ultimately help national and global efforts toward prevention and control of tuberculosis

Heteropagus (parasitic) twins

Heteropagus (parasitic) twin is a type of conjoined twinning in which a partially formed defective twin is attached to an otherwise normal twin. It is an extremely rare anomaly. In this paper, we describe five cases we encountered over the past 9 years. Except one, all presented early within a few days of birth. None of them shared an organ but two had bony/visceral connections. All surgeries were successful, and we only encountered wound complications. To the best of our knowledge this is the largest compilation of original cases in a parasitic twin report. Keywords: Conjoined twin, Parasitic twin, Heteropagus twin, Ethiopi

Building future scenarios and uncovering persisting challenges of participatory forest management in Chilimo Forest, Central Ethiopia

a b s t r a c t We examined the changes in forest status and people's livelihoods through building future scenarios for Chilimo Forest in Central Ethiopia where participatory forest management (PFM) is being implemented. Participatory methods were employed to collect data, and a dynamic modeling technique was applied to explore trends over time. By integrating the more quantitative model outputs with qualitative insights, information on forests and livelihoods was summarized and returned to users, both to inform them and get feedback. A scenario of open access without PFM provides higher income benefits in the short term but not over the longer term, as compared to a scenario with PFM. Follow up meetings were organized with national decision makers to explore the possibility of new provisions in the national forest proclamation related to joint community-state ownership of forests. Project implementers must constantly work towards improving short term incentives from PFM, as these may be insufficient to garner support for PFM. Other necessary elements for PFM to succeed include: ensuring active participation of the communities in the process; and, clarifying and harmonizing the rules and regulations at different levels