Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Urban farming is a vital source of food and income in Low- and Middle-income countries like Kenya. A common livestock choice in urban farming is poultry since it efficiently produces animal-based protein with minimal feed input. However, urban farming increases the risk of infectious diseases due to crowded conditions for animals and humans, poor biosecurity and inadequate vaccination practices. Kenyan farmers treat these diseases by self-administering antimicrobial substances, purchased over the counter from their local Agrovet store without prior veterinary consultation. While this offers short-term relief, imprudent antimicrobial use (AMU) contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing long-term health risks for both humans and animals. To address these challenges, implementing national and international surveillance of AMU and AMR is crucial.
As a first step in AMU surveillance in Kenyan agriculture, a pilot Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform was launched in May 2023 for poultry farmers in Kajiado and Machakos counties. This thesis investigates the farmers’ perception of the ICT platform and the treatment data collected from it.
The platform aimed to map AMU amongst farmers and provide information about poultry diseases, AMR and prudent AMU. Over five months, farmers used the platform to report treatments. At the end of this period farmers participated in focus group interviews where they were asked to share their perception of the platform and suggest improvements. Despite a lack of treatment reports on the platform, the collected data showed a wide use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Topics addressed during the interviews were technical issues and the implementation of various communication platforms for farmers and veterinarians. Over time, the platform aims to overcome the addressed challenges and expand its reach to a broader community of farmers, contributing to reduced AMU and AMR in Kenyan agriculture.