Extension programs in rural communities play a critical role in linking farmers and other actors in rural developmental agenda. The relevance of these programs in agriculture is largely dependent on their ability to meet farmers' needs since they are the stakeholders at the grassroots. This paper aimed to review studies on enhancing the role of rural agricultural extension programs in poverty alleviation. Various approaches and tools used in rural extension program delivery have been discussed, and ways in which their contribution to poverty alleviation can be enhanced have been highlighted. Extension programs have undergone many changes throughout the years in response to farmers' changing needs as well as the market they operate in. Therefore, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach recommended for effective service delivery and outcome due to different farmer needs that are affected by their geographical location, social and economic structures. We conclude that rural extension programs can provide a sustainable solution to Sahya Maulu ABOUT THE AUTHORS Sahya Maulu is a board chairperson at Centre for Innovative Approach Zambia (CIAZ). His research focuses on agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, rural development, and climate Change. Oliver Jolezya Hasimuna is an Aquaculture Research Officer at the Zambian Department of Fisheries. His research interest includes Aquatic Ecology, fish anesthetics, fish nutrition, fish breeding and genetics, aquatic animal diseases, and fisheries management Bornwell Mutale is a master's degree student at Ocean University of China. His research interests include agriculture and fisheries economics, rural development through agriculture, and environmental economics. Joseph Mphande is a Fisheries Officer at the Zambian Department of Fisheries. His research interests are in fisheries management, Morphometrics and meristic, Fish diseases, genetics, Climate change, microplastics and their impacts on aquatic biota Enock Siankwilimba is a co-founder and agricultural diversification manager at Musika Zambia. His research focuses on agricultural market systems development, livestock and crop business models, climate change, value chain development and rural development.

Tilapia culture is a very promising industry within the aquaculture sector. However, disease outbreaks have continued to threaten the industry, causing serious economic losses among the producers. Streptococcosis has become the major bacterial disease affecting tilapia production in most regions of the world. To combat the disease and minimize its economic impact on fish producers, numerous preventive and control measures have been developed and reported over the years. This paper aims to systematically review the measures that could be used to manage the disease outbreaks and maintain fish health based on previously published scientific studies. Although numerous measures currently available have been highlighted, it is far better for the producers to maximize the preventive measures for management to be economically feasible. Among the currently available preventive measures, the use of vaccines has been shown to have the most promise, while the use of herbs has been demonstrated to be a more sustainable and economically affordable control measure. However, there are still a number of important gaps in existing literature that require further investigation. Overall, significant progress has been made in preventing and controlling streptococcosis in tilapia although, no single effective measure has been identified. Therefore, a combination of these measures may provide a more effective result.

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