| dc.description.abstract | In Uganda, previous studies on awareness of poultry healthcare and diseases and associated social demographic factors mainly considered farmers, hence scarce information exists on the side of market vendors of poultry and poultry products in Kampala. Sixty respondents from five selected markets in Kampala city were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data was collected on the social demographic characteristics of poultry vendors, access to training and sources of information about poultry healthcare, as well as the level of adoption of poultry disease prevention, control and treatment measures. The results showed that majority of poultry vendors in Kampala markets were Moslems (45%) and Catholics (41.7%), males (71.7%) of ages 21-29 years (30%), were married (66.7%), had formal education (83.3%) and were household heads (51.7%). Only 13% of the poultry vendors in Kampala had accessed formal trainings in poultry healthcare and disease management. Access to training was significantly influenced by position the vendors held within their households (P<0.01) and marital status (P<0.01). Trainings in poultry healthcare were mainly attended by vendors who were household heads (12.5%) and those who were unmarried (35%). The sources of training to poultry vendors was significantly influenced by religion (P<0.1) and level of education (P<0.05). Among the vendors who received training from agricultural organizations, Born-again vendors were proportionally (25%) more than vendors who professed other faiths. Among the vendors who were trained by veterinary drug dealers, vendors who had attained at least advanced level of education (16.7%) were the majority. Conversely, access to information on poultry disease symptoms and treatment was significantly influenced by age structure (P<0.05), religion (P<0.1) and level of education (P< 0.1) of the poultry vendors. Information from Veterinary professionals radiated mainly to poultry vendors who were ≥50 years of age (100%), Anglicans (25%) and those who had attained at least Advanced level of education (36.7%). Poultry vendors who had a minimum of Advanced level of education were also able to access information on poultry disease management on the internet (56.7%) and personal experience (100%). Regarding adoption of disease prevention, control and treatment practices, the use of human and veterinary drugs was significantly influenced by age structure (P<0.05), marital status (P<0.1) religion (P<0.05), gender (P< 0.01) and level of education (P<0.05) of the poultry vendors. Poultry vendors who professed the Born-again faith (50%), were young (60%), married (46.5%) and had attained tertiary education (50%) dominated the use of human drugs while males dominated the use of veterinary drugs (46.5%) especially oxy-tetracycline (23.3%). Age structure (P<0.05) and level of education (P<0.05) also influenced adoption of disease prevention and control measures. Buying poultry stock from healthy flocks was mainly practiced by vendors who were of ages below 20 years (80%) and 50-59 years (100%). On the other hand, 83.3% of the vendors who had attained tertiary education practiced the all-in all-out.
Generally, poultry vendors could identify sick poultry but lowly adopted the disease prevention and control measures on their stalls as found out in this study. | en_US |
