Background Tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiasis is the major constraint to livestock development in the humid and sub-humid zones of sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainable control of trypanosomiasis requires strategies that integrate vector and parasite management. Furthermore, sustainable control strategies need to be based on a thorough assessment of critical aspects of control as they influence livestock production, the environment and the welfare of African farmers. Phase I of the programme was initiated by ILRI and financed by IFAD between January 1995 and December 1997. The programme evaluated the adoption, use and impact of trypanosomiasis control technologies on IFAD’s target groups in eastern, western and southern Africa. It assembled and deployed expertise on various trypanosomiasis control strategies, livestock production, and participatory techniques for monitoring socio-economic and environmental impact. Interdisciplinary case studies undertaken in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe demonstrated, among other things, the capacity of rural communities to organize themselves to operate prototype tsetse traps and their willingness to pay for effective control and supplementary treatment options. The case studies have also demonstrated that vector control can generate benefits to farmers that exceed total costs by as much as a factor of ten times. Preliminary assessment of impact on natural resources shows low short-term costs, but there was a need for longer-term assessments to discern the sustainability of the control strategies in question. Grant Purpose for the second phase (1999 to 2002) The purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness, impact and sustainability
of alternative trypanosomiasis control strategies and to develop decision-support
tools to improve control.
Participatory testing and validation of sustainable tsetse control technologies This involved a package of actions that included: (i) undertaking a thorough investigation of community-based adoption of a comprehensive control technology package grounded mainly on the Nguruman trap technology and associated control strategies (i.e. “push and pull”); (ii) validating complementary control measures; (iii) assessing the risk of re-infestation and the benefits of crop diversification and the purchase of trypanotolerant breeds; and (iv) consolidating information and providing a conclusive analysis of integrated tsetse control strategies. Improving access of farmers to control technologies and sustainability of use This was effected through: (i) evaluating constraints on the delivery of inputs for control options, including pour-ons, trypanocidal drugs and traps, and providing concrete solutions; and (ii) assessing the impact of trypanosomiasis control on livestock productivity, including estimates of the economic benefits and costs associated with tsetse control. Development of decision support Decision-support tools were developed by collating data at national and project-specific levels relevant to decision-making for trypanosomiasis control. The effective organization and management of local community participation was essential to the successful use of traps, while finance and delivery might limit the successful use of pour-ons. Tsetse fly control has the greatest impact on crop land expansion when: (i) few factors besides trypanosomiasis limit agricultural production; (ii) farmers traditionally use livestock to plough their land; (iii) land preparation requires a lot of labour due to local soil conditions; and (iv) large amounts of uncultivated land remain available. The impact of trypanosomiasis on drug use and production (Ghibe Valley
case study) is significant: a 75% decrease in trypanosomiasis incidence
led to a 9% increase in milk production, a 30% increase in live animal
production, and a 50% increase in traction efficiency of draught oxen.
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