Risk Factors for Lamb Mortality in Sahelian Sheep on a Breeding Station in Ghana

A retrospective cohort study was designed to examine the effect of sex, season of birth, type and year of birth, and birth weight on lamb mortality. The method used involved analysis of breeding records for Sahelian sheep kept on a breeding station at Pong-Tamale in northern Ghana from 1994 to 2000. The pre-weaning and post-weaning mortalities were 10% (n = 505) and 19% (n = 453), respectively, while the overall mortality from birth up to 12 months of age was 28% (n = 505). Compared to the pre-weaning period, the post-weaning period recorded significantly higher proportions of deaths in male, single-born, lambs born in the rainy or dry seasons, and in lambs with low (<3 kg) or high (> or =3 kg) birth weight. The odds and risks of death for male lambs were about one and a half times those for females at post-weaning. Lambs born in the dry season had significantly higher mortality than those born in the rainy season. Lambs that died by the time of weaning were not significantly different in weight at birth from those that survived. The mean birth and weaning weights of single-born lambs were significantly higher than those for twins. The mean pre-weaning ADG was significantly higher in lambs born as singles compared to that for twins. The season of birth had influence on mean birth weight, with those born in the rainy season having significantly higher weights than those born in the dry season. The year of birth significantly affected birth weight, weaning weight, weight at 12 months and ADG at all stages of the lambs' life. The study concluded that the most significant risk factors for lamb mortality included sex of the lamb, season of birth and birth weight. The last two could be manipulated, to some extent, to reduce lamb mortality.     

Clients’ perceptions of delivery of veterinary services in peri-urban Ghana

A study was designed aimed at comparing the assessment of performance of animal health care delivery systems in peri-urban Ghana by livestock and poultry keepers in 4 locations. 889 respondents were interviewed using a questionnaire. A higher proportion of respondents in Location 1 met their needs for animal health by themselves, while in Location 3 these needs were met mainly by veterinarians. The mean distances to veterinary clinics, veterinary technicians or to purchase medicine were significantly higher in Location 1. Higher proportions in 3 locations perceived effectiveness of service delivery to be good. However, equity was poor in all 4 locations. Higher proportions in Locations 2, 3 and 4 said services were unaffordable. Client needs were perceived to have been met by higher proportions in Locations 3 and 4 but not in Locations 1 and 2. Staff attitude and technical competence were good in all 4 locations. The study concluded that the differences reported in the quality of service indicators in the 4 locations were not critical enough to recommend location-specific delivery systems.     

Profile of Veterinarians and Veterinary Practice in Ghana

This paper presents a profile of veterinary practice and veterinarians in Ghana, as assessed through secondary data and a questionnaire. In all, 123 veterinarians responded, giving a response rate of 85% (123/145). Analysis of the secondary data from 1986–95 revealed that Veterinary Livestock Units (VLU) per veterinarian ranged from 10000 to 16000 and VLU per technical support staff ranged from 2000 to 3000. However, the distribution of the staff within the country was poor, resulting in very high ratios for the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Volta Regions and low ratios for Central, Ashanti and Eastern Regions. The bulk of the respondents (78%) had 15 or fewer years of experience, with the overall mean being 12 years. The most common animal species handled were small ruminants and the most common activities were prevention/treatment of worms, surgery and giving advice. Lack of transport ranked highest among the constraints to veterinary work. The perceived determinants of effective and efficient service delivery were the availability and efficiency of means of transport, adequacy of logistics, remuneration for staff in rural posts and farmer education in husbandry practices. The respondents perceived poor management techniques of farmers and lack of credit as major factors hindering livestock production in Ghana. The implications of these and other findings are discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Perceived Constraints to Privatization of Delivery of Veterinary Services in Ghana

Ghana is on the verge of privatizing selected activities in the delivery of animal health services. However, various constraints are being encountered. The aim of this paper is to identify these constraints so as to help find solutions to them.Questionnaires were administered to veterinarians in Ghana to elicit their responses on various issues concerning privatization. A significant proportion (61%) of government veterinarians, who formed 94% of the respondents, were unwilling to go into private practice. Among the reasons given were that private practice was too risky, that farmers were unwilling or unable to pay for services, that capital to start practices was lacking and that the societal value for animals was low. Also, low livestock densities in many areas and the absence of commercial livestock farming were perceived as deterrents to the sustainability of private practice. Furthermore, the poor macroeconomic environment of high inflation, high interest rates and unstable currency discouraged investment.If privatization of veterinary services is to succeed in Ghana, these perceptions have to be addressed and solutions found, since veterinarians are the targets of the privatization process.     

Assessment of veterinary needs of ruminant livestock owners in Ghana

We assessed the needs of ruminant-livestock owners in three districts in Ghana for veterinary services, the acceptability of particular services or activities and the willingness of people to use services through public or private delivery systems. Purposive sampling was used in choosing 516, 100 and 100 ruminant-livestock owners in East Mamprusi, Savelugu-Nanton and Tamale districts, respectively, for the administration of a questionnaire. The response proportions were 87-99%. Focus-group discussions (FGDs) were done in Savelugu-Nanton and Tamale districts. Animal diseases, housing, and lack of knowledge on management practices were identified as the three most important problems in the districts. Generally, accessibility to veterinary services and drugs was not easy. Large proportions of respondents identified advice on health, bathing or spraying against ectoparasites, castration, deworming, treatment involving injectables, sale of medicines or drugs, treatment for skin diseases, vaccinations, and treatment of wounds as activities that they needed. Many used veterinary staff to meet their needs and were willing to use the services of private veterinary providers if private clinics were established in their localities.     

Perceptions of veterinarians regarding privatization of veterinary services delivery in Ghana and Jamaica

There are on-going reforms in the delivery of veterinary services in many developing countries, with privatization of certain veterinary activities as one of the approaches. In Jamaica, with the support of veterinarians, clinical aspects of veterinary services were privatized in 1992. In contrast, Ghanaian veterinarians are generally wary of the government's on-going privatization process. The objective of this study was to find out if perceptions of the veterinarians from these two countries on certain issues of privatization were sufficiently different to explain the willingness or reluctance to go into private practice.

The response proportions for predominantly self-administered questionnaires were 83% (121/145) and 92% (35/38) for Ghana and Jamaica, respectively. There was a very good (92%) agreement in the perceptions of veterinarians in Ghana and Jamaica on a battery of 24 responses pertaining to privatization of veterinary services. Generally, the perceptions of the veterinarians in Ghana and Jamaica were similar even though the predominant delivery systems for animal health services were different. Therefore, reasons other than those examined in this study may explain the differences in willingness to go into private practice. The need to account for these other reasons is discussed.     

Technical Communication: Implications of the Liberalization of Veterinary Drug Marketing in Ghana

Tropical Animal Health and Production -     

Risk Factors for Kid Mortality in West African Dwarf Goats Under an Intensive Management System in Ghana

Breeding records from 1997 to 2000 for West African Dwarf goats kept under an intensive management system on the National Breeding Station at Kintampo in Ghana were analysed for the effect on mortality of sex, season and type of birth, and birth weight. The pre-weaning and post-weaning mortalities were 10% (n = 390) and 23.1% (n = 351), respectively, while the overall mortality from birth up to 12 months of age was 30.8% (n = 390). The post-weaning period recorded significantly higher proportions of deaths in males, females, single-born and twins, during the rainy and dry seasons, and for kids with low or high birth weight, compared to the pre-weaning period. There was significantly higher mortality in male kids than in female kids. The odds and risks of death for male kids were about twice those for females at post-weaning and up to 1 year of age. At pre-weaning and up to 1 year of age, a higher proportion of the dead were twins. Twins had approximately 2.5 the risk of death at pre-weaning, compared to singles. Also, kids born in the rainy season had significantly higher mortality than those born in the dry season. Kids that died by the time of weaning were significantly lighter in weight at birth than those that survived. Male kids had significantly higher mean weights at birth and at weaning, but not at 12 months of age. The significance of these findings is discussed.     

Financing the Delivery of Public-Sector Animal Health Services in Jamaica: Pre- and Post-Privatization

Lack of adequate financing was a major reason for the privatization of veterinary services in Jamaica in 1992. The belief was that, with privatization, funding of animal health services delivery would improve, since staff numbers and clinical activities undertaken by the Veterinary Division were reduced. However, analyses of data revealed that, in most cases, privatization neither improved nor stemmed the declines, that had started before privatization, in the measures or indicators used. It was concluded that privatization of veterinary services did not result in any appreciable improvement in the financing of the delivery of public-sector animal health services in Jamaica in the short term.     

Promotion of Private Veterinary Practice in Ghana: Perceptions of Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians

A study was designed to identify factors perceived by veterinarians and veterinary technicians as likely to promote private veterinary practice in Ghana. The participatory appraisal approach was used. The response rates were 88% (n = 90), 100% (n = 9) and 86% (n = 200) for government field veterinarians, private veterinarians and government veterinary technicians, respectively. Significant proportions of government field veterinarians (67%, n = 79), and veterinary technicians (64%, n = 167) were willing to go into private practice if the necessary push was given. Factors perceived as likely to motivate them to go into private practice included availability of capital to cover start-up costs; provision of a vehicle; prospect of higher income; availability of loans with low interest rates; availability of credit facilities from suppliers; stable macroeconomic environment with low interest and inflation rates; high pet, poultry and livestock populations at locations earmarked for private practice; leasing of vacant government premises for use as clinic and for accommodation; and enforcement of legislation on private practice, especially that against moonlighting by government veterinarians and technicians. These should be considered and used in the promotion of private veterinary practice in Ghana.