Methodology in recording data on pig health and production in the Lao People's Democratic Republic : experiences from a surveillance programme on classical swine fever in lowland villages in Bolikhamxay Province, Lao PDR

Abstract: Improved animal health and alleviation of livestock diseases with high impact in developing countries have direct effects on poverty reduction as livestock has been estimated to account for 70% of the livelihoods of the world's poor. In Lao PDR 85% of the population lives in areas dependent on agriculture, and sale of livestock is estimated to account for their largest cash income. Smallholder farmers produce almost all of the livestock, and pigs are raised by 64% of the Lao households. In the low input-low output system used in Lao PDR losses due to disease are seen in pigs and Classical Swine Fever has in a recent study been pointed out as the most important disease. During this study, four villages in the Bolikhamxay province in the central of Lao PDR were included into a surveillance programme on Classical Swine Fever set up by Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). In the first part of the study, information on Lao farming systems was collected from literature and field visits. Thereafter the four villages to be included were visited with the aim to undertake a robust descriptive analysis of pig health and production and to make recommendations for future surveillance and data collection in the project. All fieldwork was done in cooperation with staff linked to the ACIAR project ASI/2003/001. Information on pig management was collected with the help of a Baseline Questionnaire Form previously used in the ASI/2003/001 project and by village walks. The information was analysed together with data from six villages already included in the project. A qualitative analysis was conducted from the information and a quantitative analysis started using Epi Info version 2002. The study showed major problems in pig management. A need for increased knowledge in disease prevention and action during disease outbreak was observed amongst the farmers and the animal health workers. Insufficient communication between farmers and the extension workers and difficult accessibility to the villages also showed great impact. Introduction of participatory research and extension approaches could contribute to the project and the study showed a demand for a more gender sensitive approach as pig husbandry is almost exclusively carried out by women.