Abstract

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is still one of the major trans-boundary animal diseases (TADs) in Tanzania. The disease is an obstacle to development of the livestock sector because it adversely affect livestock production and trade of animals and animal products. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Serengeti ecosystem (Wildlife-livestock Interface) and in the Central part of Tanzania (Non-interface) with the aim of assessing the social and economic impacts of FMD among livestock keepers in the two ecosystems. Forty households were selected, 10 from each district and to each household, a structured questionnaire was administered. The results showed that, the social impacts due to, FMD outbreaks include food insecurity (85.0%), failure to meet education costs (90.0%) and medical costs (77.5%). The observed economic impacts of FMD were losses associated with treatment costs (87.5%), milk productivity (85.0%), draught power (80.0%), livestock market loss (67.5), lower weight gain (60.0%), lower fertility (37.5%), abortion (35.0%), death of animals (25.0%) and vaccine supply cost (2.5%). Statistically, there were no significant differences in observed impacts of FMD among livestock keepers from wildlife-livestock interface and those from the non-interface. The study found no significant difference in opinion among livestock keepers from wildlife-livestock interface and non-interface areas as well as among study districts on foot-and mouth-disease impacts. Higher percentages in case responses on social impacts and economic losses indicated magnitude of the problem and feelings of livestock keepers about FMD. However, lower percentage in case response on vaccine supply cost indicated that there is no control of FMD by vaccination.

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