The aim of this project is to demonstrate the potential of abattoir and livestock markets surveillance for epidemiological intelligence and thus promoting viable animal production and improving the livelihoods of stakeholders. The hypothesis is that abattoir surveillance is sufficiently representative and sensitive for monitoring of brucellosis immunization coverage and surveillance of PPR and is more cost-effective than on-farm testing.
The objectives are:
1) Develop a mathematical demographic model for ruminants (cattle, sheep and goat) including abattoir off-take to simulate demographic composition of farm and abattoir populations optimized against empirical and epidemiological data.
2) Establish representative farmer and service provider awareness and related costs of the surveillance system components for brucellosis and PPR.
3) Assess cost-effectiveness of livestock disease and vaccination coverage surveillance sensitivity under endemic disease, mass vaccination and freedom from disease scenarios as compared to simulations with the demographic and slaughterhouse model developed under 1).
4) Maintain policy dialogue with central and provincial authorities on the research findings.