Practices and Challenges of Veterinary Paraprofessionals in Regards to Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Animals in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Frumence, Gasto; Mboera, Leonard E. G.; Sindato, Calvin; Durrance-Bagale, Anna; Jung, Andrew; Mshana, Stephen E.; Clark, Taane G.; Legido‐Quigley, Helena; Matee, Mecky

doi:10.3390/antibiotics10060733

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(50 reference statements)

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“…In practice, many are not trained or registered. Veterinary paraprofessionals formal training curriculum indicates that minimal information is given on antimicrobial use, usually limited to prescribing a few antibiotics, mainly tetracyclines, and there are no organized post-training seminars/workshops [ 35 ]. Veterinarians train at Degree level that takes 5 years of training and Veterinary paraprofessionals (Assistant Veterinary Officers) are at Diploma level that takes 3 years of training (personal communication).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Arming half-baked people with weapons!” Information enclaving among professionals and the need for a care-centred model for antibiotic use information in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi

Nayiga,

MacPherson,

Mankhomwa

et al. 2024

Global Health Action

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Background The overuse of antimicrobial medicines is a global health concern, including as a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. In many low- and middle-income countries, a substantial proportion of antibiotics are purchased over-the-counter without a prescription. But while antibiotics are widely available, information on when and how to use them is not. Objective We aimed to understand the acceptability among experts and professionals of sharing information on antibiotic use with end users – patients, carers and farmers – in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi. Methods Building on extended periods of fieldwork amongst end-users and antibiotic providers in the three countries, we conducted two workshops in each, with a total of 44 medical and veterinary professionals, policy makers and drug regulators, in December 2021. We carried out extensive documentary and literature reviews to characterise antibiotic information systems in each setting. Results Participants reported that the general public had been provided information on medicine use in all three countries by national drug authorities, health care providers and in package inserts. Participants expressed concern over the danger of sharing detailed information on antibiotic use, particularly that end-users are not equipped to determine appropriate use of medicines. Sharing of general instructions to encourage professionally-prescribed practices was preferred. Conclusions Without good access to prescribers, the tension between enclaving and sharing of knowledge presents an equity issue. Transitioning to a client care-centred model that begins with the needs of the patient, carer or farmer will require sharing unbiased antibiotic information at the point of care.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Arming half-baked people with weapons!” Information enclaving among professionals and the need for a care-centred model for antibiotic use information in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi

Nayiga,

MacPherson,

Mankhomwa

et al. 2024

Global Health Action

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“…Several studies have shown the important role that paraprofessionals can play in disease prevention and even eradication (85)(86)(87). A second component for paraprofessionals to play a key role in disease prevention and eradication is revived and standardized training of paraprofessionals, something that is also emphasized in other studies (88,89). Smallholders also need to have strategies to distinguish between the relative qualifications of the various veterinary actors providing services (90).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverging Discourses: Animal Health Challenges and Veterinary Care in Northern Uganda

et al. 2022

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People in northern Uganda are currently rebuilding their lives after a lengthy period of conflict. To facilitate this, the Ugandan government and donors have promoted investment in pigs as an important strategy for generating income quickly and ensuring livelihood security. In this context, animal health issues are an acknowledged challenge, creating uncertainty for animal owners who risk losing both their animals and income. This paper draws on policy documents guiding the veterinary sector, interviews with faculty staff at Makerere University and with veterinarians and paraprofessionals in northern Uganda, and ethnographic fieldwork in smallholder communities. The aims of this study were to contribute to an understanding of the structure of veterinary support and its dominant development narratives in policy and veterinary education and of the way in which dominant discourses and practices affect smallholders' ability to treat sick animals. Particular attention was paid to the role of paraprofessionals, here referring to actors with varied levels of training who provide animal health services mainly in rural areas. The results suggest that veterinary researchers, field veterinarians and government officials in agricultural policy share a common discourse in which making smallholders more business-minded and commercializing smallholder production are important elements in reducing rural poverty in Uganda. This way of framing smallholder livestock production overlooks other important challenges faced by smallholders in their livestock production, as well as alternative views of agricultural development. The public veterinary sector is massively under-resourced; thus while inadequately trained paraprofessionals and insufficient veterinary support currently present a risks to animal health, paraprofessionals fulfill an important role for smallholders unable to access the public veterinary sector. The dominant discourse framing paraprofessionals as “quacks” tends to downplay how important they are to smallholders by mainly highlighting the negative outcomes for animal healthcare resulting from their lack of formalized training. The conclusions of this study are that both animal health and smallholders' livelihoods would benefit from closer collaboration between veterinarians and paraprofessionals and from a better understanding of smallholders' needs.

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“…Unfortunately, an overwhelming proportion of human and veterinary medicines sold in pharmacies are dispensed without a prescription [ 5 , 8 ], including prohibited antimicrobials such as furazolidone [ 21 ]. Moreover, for the great majority of poultry farmers, the treatment services are provided by veterinary paraprofessionals, the majority of whom (72.5%) have not received any formal training on AMU or AMR [ 28 , 29 ]. This situation calls for vigorous monitoring and observation of the withdrawal periods, which should be advocated to ensure that the food from animals is safe with regard to the residues of veterinary medicines.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fortunately, Tanzania has policies and guidelines that address the use of antimicrobials in animal food and agricultural systems using a ‘one health’ approach [ 30 ]. However, these policies and regulations are poorly enforced due to weak systems, particularly in animal food production [ 22 , 28 , 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We further recommend a ‘one health’ approach, as embraced in Tanzania’s AMR National Action Plan 2017–2022 to promote rational use and reduce antimicrobial consumption and resistance in humans and animals [ 30 ]. Finally, veterinary paravets, who are actually providing veterinary services to most farmers [ 28 , 29 ], should be trained on the judicious of antimicrobials, as well as receiving refresher courses on the diagnosis and prevention of infections through short courses arranged by The Veterinary Council of Tanzania.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Determination of Sulphonamides and Tetracycline Residues in Liver Tissues of Broiler Chicken Sold in Kinondoni and Ilala Municipalities, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

et al. 2022

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In Tanzania, the increased demand for animal-derived foods, particularly eggs, meat, and milk, has resulted in the intensification of farming systems with the use of antimicrobials, particularly sulphonamides and tetracyclines. According to the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius commission, concentrations of antimicrobial residues in food exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and maximum residual limit (MRL) pose a health risk to consumers. This cross-sectional study determined the concentrations of sulphonamide and tetracycline residues in the liver tissues of commercial broiler chicken sold in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to find out whether the amounts of residues were within the legally permitted and acceptable limits in food. We conveniently sampled eighty-four liver tissue samples from broiler chicken sold in two out of six large markets in Dar es Salaam. The amounts of tetracycline and sulphonamide residues were determined using an ELISA kit (Shenzhen Lvshiyuan Biotechnology Company, Shenzhen, China). The results showed that all 100% (n = 84) samples contained tetracycline residues and 21.4% (n = 18) samples contained sulphonamide residues, while 21.4% (n = 18) contained both sulphonamide and tetracycline residues. The concentrations of sulphonamide residues were within the maximum residual limit (MRL). However, 90.5% (n = 76) of the samples had tetracycline levels that exceeded the acceptable daily intake (ADI) range 0–3 µg/kg and 13.1% (n = 11) of the samples had tetracycline levels that exceeded the maximum residue limit of 300 µg/kg. The observed presence of antibiotic residues in the poultry tissues poses a health risk to consumers, and may lead to antimicrobial resistance micro-organisms, which may spread to humans and animals via the environment. Vigorous surveillance and observation of the withdrawal periods should be advocated to ensure that the food from animals is safe with regard to the residues of veterinary medicines.

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Practices and Challenges of Veterinary Paraprofessionals in Regards to Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Animals in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Cited by 10 publications

References 33 publications

“Arming half-baked people with weapons!” Information enclaving among professionals and the need for a care-centred model for antibiotic use information in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi

“Arming half-baked people with weapons!” Information enclaving among professionals and the need for a care-centred model for antibiotic use information in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi

Diverging Discourses: Animal Health Challenges and Veterinary Care in Northern Uganda

Determination of Sulphonamides and Tetracycline Residues in Liver Tissues of Broiler Chicken Sold in Kinondoni and Ilala Municipalities, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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