Economic assessment of an intervention strategy to reduce antimicrobial usage in small-scale chicken farms in Vietnam

Antimicrobials are a core aspect of most livestock production systems, especially in low-and middle-income countries. They underpin the efficient use of scarce feed resources and stabilize returns on capital and labor inputs. Antimicrobial use (AMU) contributes to the production of healthy animals, yet AMU in livestock is linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals, humans and the environment. The Vietnamese Platform for Antimicrobial Reduction in Chicken Production was implemented during 2016-2019 and was one of Southeast Asia's first interventions focused on AMU reductions in livestock production. The project targeted small-scale commercial poultry farms in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam using a "randomized before-and-after controlled" study design. It provided farmers with a locally adapted support service (farmer training plan, advisory visits, biosecurity, and antimicrobial replacement products) to help them reduce their reliance on antimicrobials. A partial budget analysis was performed comparing the control group (status-quo) and intervention group (alternative). The median net farm-level benefit of the intervention strategies with the project's support was VND 6.78 million (interquartile range (IR) VND -71.9-89 million) per farm. Without project support the benefit was reduced to VND 5.1 million (IR VND -69.1-87.2 million) to VND 5.3 million (IR -VND 68.9-87.5 million) depending on the antimicrobial alternative product used. At the project level with a focus on AMU and its reduction, subsequently influence on the resistance reduction, our results showed that achieving resistance reduction benefits with the current knowledge and technologies required investment of at least VND 9.1 million (US$ 395.10) per farm during the project's lifetime. The results highlight the positive net profit for the majority of enrolled farms and a reasonable investments from the project. The recommendation focuses on the implementation of policies on financial support, legislation, and information as potential solutions to facilitate the application of intervention strategies to reduce AMU in poultry production.

Estimating the financial impact of livestock schistosomiasis on traditional subsistence and transhumance farmers keeping cattle, sheep and goats in northern Senegal

Background

Schistosomiasis is a disease that poses major threats to human and animal health, as well as the economy, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Whilst many studies have evaluated the economic impact of schistosomiasis in humans, to date only one has been performed in livestock in SSA and none in Senegal. This study aimed to estimate the financial impact of livestock schistosomiasis in selected regions of Senegal.

Methods

Stochastic partial budget models were developed for traditional ruminant farmers in 12 villages in northern Senegal. The models were parameterised using data from a cross-sectional survey, focus group discussions, scientific literature and available statistics. Two scenarios were defined: scenario 1 modelled a situation in which farmers tested and treated their livestock for schistosomiasis, whilst scenario 2 modelled a situation in which there were no tests or treatment. The model was run with 10,000 iterations for 1 year; results were expressed in West African CFA francs (XOF; 1 XOF was equivalent to 0.0014 GBP at the time of analysis). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the impact of uncertain variables on the disease costs.

Results

Farmers surveyed were aware of schistosomiasis in their ruminant livestock and reported hollowing around the eyes, diarrhoea and weight loss as the most common clinical signs in all species. For scenario 1, the median disease costs per year and head of cattle, sheep and goats were estimated at 13,408 XOF, 27,227 XOF and 27,694 XOF, respectively. For scenario 2, the disease costs per year and head of cattle, sheep and goats were estimated at 49,296 XOF, 70,072 XOF and 70,281 XOF, respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the financial impact of livestock schistosomiasis on traditional subsistence and transhumance farmers is substantial. Consequently, treating livestock schistosomiasis has the potential to generate considerable benefits to farmers and their families. Given the dearth of data in this region, our study serves as a foundation for further in-depth studies to provide estimates of disease impact and as a baseline for future economic analyses. This will also enable One Health economic studies where the burden on both humans and animals is estimated and included in cross-sectoral cost–benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of disease control strategies.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-05147-w.