Livestock vaccination in India: an analysis of theory and practice among multiple stakeholders

Abstract

An effective and efficient disease prevention and control strategy is of paramount importance to improve the quality and quantity of livestock production in the Indian context. Although livestock vaccination is considered an emerging innovation of socioeconomic importance in the Indian dairy industry, the rate of adoption and diffusion of vaccination technology is very low at field level. In this context, the authors examined the efforts of the Government of India to protect livestock health and control disease, considered the lessons learnt from rinderpest eradication, looked at field practices and the reality on the ground, and studied the perceptions of multiple stakeholders with regards to the relevance, profitability and sustainability of vaccination. In this study, the authors consider policy implications for the Indian dairy industry using the responses of 360 dairy farmers, 80 research scientists and 40 extension workers in India. The study revealed that scientists and extension experts rated vaccination highly in terms of its relevance, profitability and sustainability, while the perception of farmers was less favourable. The study also observed that, even after implementation of various disease control programmes with heavy financial expenditure, there was a wide gap between farmers and scientists and between farmers and extension workers with regards to their perceptions of the relevance, profitability and sustainability of vaccination, while the gap was very narrow between scientists and extension workers. It can be concluded, therefore, that there is a need to generate innovations for disease control that are perceived as relevant, profitable and sustainable so as to encourage higher levels of diffusion and adoption at field level. This study recommends that farmers partner with researchers and extension workers to ensure effective generation and transfer of new dairying technologies, leading to higher production and productivity in the Indian dairy sector.

A qualitative study on antibiotic use and animal health management in smallholder dairy farms of four regions of India

“…Almost all the farmers in the four regions reported that they vaccinated their animals and knew the value of disease control and prevention. Farmers in Haryana and Punjab (61.4%; n = 360) perceived vaccination to be profitable [17]. The Haryana and Punjab study also showed that farmers had their livestock vaccinated only when a veterinarian or paravet visited their village under government schemes such as the control programs for FMD and brucellosis.…”

Evaluation of effectiveness of Mass Vaccination Campaign against Peste des petits ruminants in Chhattisgarh state, India

“…The vaccination in animals is an important palliative means to prevent highly infectious diseases (Rathod, Chander, & Bangar, ); however, volunteering by farmers to vaccinate their animals is limited in developing countries like India as the majority of farmers are unaware about important livestock diseases and do not realize its socio‐economic consequences till an outbreak occurs in their farms. The axes on programme impact revealed that the vaccination adoption levels and number of animals vaccinated against PPR was high due to the institutional ‘big push’ and public health commitment to control the disease through exclusive ‘pulse polio’ mode as adopted in humans.…”

“…a 10% coverage of vaccination in border and vulnerable areas during the fifth year of the cycle; Low & , medium & and high & represent disease incidence level before the PPR-CP implementation remains same throughout the PPR-CP period; the disease incidence increases from 8% (before PPR-CP) and reaches 20% by 2020, and the disease incidence increases from 8% (before PPR-CP) and reaches 25% by 2020. The vaccination in animals is an important palliative means to prevent highly infectious diseases (Rathod, Chander, & Bangar, 2016); however, volunteering by farmers to vaccinate their animals is limited in developing countries like India as the majority of farmers are unaware about important livestock diseases and do not realize its socio-economic consequences till an outbreak occurs in their farms. The axes on programme impact revealed that the vaccination adoption levels and number of animals vaccinated against PPR was high due to the institutional 'big push' and public health commitment to control the disease through exclusive 'pulse polio' mode as adopted in humans.…”

Cost-benefit analysis of intervention policies for prevention and control of brucellosis in India

“…However, there will be pockets of low (<10%) and high coverage (90%+) areas. Many factors such as poor infrastructure, lack of knowledge and veterinary personnel availability are responsible for poor adoption of vaccines in India [ 33 ]. A farmer’s perceptions such that vaccination could lead to decrease in milk yield, swelling and fever also decrease vaccine coverage [ 33 ].…”

“…Many factors such as poor infrastructure, lack of knowledge and veterinary personnel availability are responsible for poor adoption of vaccines in India [ 33 ]. A farmer’s perceptions such that vaccination could lead to decrease in milk yield, swelling and fever also decrease vaccine coverage [ 33 ]. Low community acceptance, vaccine stock outs at the local level and timeliness of vaccine also affect the vaccine coverage [ 34 ].…”