The livestock farmers were at the meeting venues, expectant to learn more about the animal health diagnostic laboratories in Butalangu and Ntutsi sub-counties.
Uganda Meat Producers Cooperative Union Ltd (UMPCU), in partnership with Zoetis in the A.L.P.H.A Initiative, have set up the labs to assist farmers to treat their animals after accurate disease diagnosis. Their mandate is to provide subsidized and readily available laboratory diagnostic services to livestock farmers in the lab locations and surrounding areas.
Between the 22nd and 25th October 2019, UMPCU together with Zoetis, held lab awareness events in the districts of Nakaseke, Lyantonde and Kiruhura districts, attended by numerous livestock farmers. The participants interacted with the UMPCU and Zoetis teams, learned about the various services within the animal health diagnostic laboratories and the processes involved.
The services include but are not limited to:
- Laboratory diagnosis of common livestock diseases such as
- Tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis, theileriosis (East coast fever/locally known as amashiu or amakebe in certain areas), Anaplamsosis (Kashaku)
- Gastrointestinal helminths such as cestodes, trematodes, and nematodes
- Anemia
- Diarrhea diseases in calves
- Mastitis
- Tuberculosis
- Trypanosomosis
- Postmortem sample analysis
- Pregnancy diagnosis using a digital scanner
- Technical backstopping
- Vaccinations
- Training
The meetings were attended by farmers, UMPCU Board members and staff, and the Zoetis team was led by Mr. Jeremiah Karuga.
