Participatory methods in the profiling of livestock diseases in the Jos-Plateau, Nigeria

This study was conducted with a view to collecting epidemiological data based on farmers’ understanding of livestock diseases in the rural communities of Plateau State. In typical developing nations, animal diseases seem to pose the greatest challenge to human and animal health and welfare. Unfortunately, most of such nations rely so much on inefficient “top to bottom” disease surveillance and eradication policies, as such, negative impacts of diseases are common. Participatory disease surveillance recognizes farmer opinion for timely disease control. Using various tools of participatory epidemiology, the occurrence of important livestock diseases and indigenous traditional knowledge were investigated. In 2009/2010, livestock diseases profiles and ethno-veterinary practices were evaluated in 90 randomly selected villages in Jos-Plateau. Endemic livestock diseases continued to cause significant economic losses to farmers in the Plateau. Institutionalization of participatory disease surveillance would better inform strategic livestock policy reforms and improve national diseases surveillance and reporting system in Nigeria.