Anthelmintic administration to small ruminants in emergency drought responses: assessing the impact in two locations of Northern Kenya

Abstract

Internal parasites are a significant determinant of the productivity of ruminant species in the tropics. Provision of anthelmintics has become a predominant part of animal health interventions in emergency drought responses, aiming to maintain the food conversion efficiency of livestock when pasture is scarce. This study aimed to assess the owner-perceived impact of anthelmintic provision on the health and productivity of small ruminants in the drought-prone counties of Isiolo and Marsabit, northern Kenya. Participatory approaches were used to retrospectively measure differences in key indicators of livestock output before and after anthelmintic administration. Results showed that there was no perceived impact of anthelmintic administration during droughts on small ruminant health and productivity, but some benefit of anthelmintic administration during rainy season was perceived. The study also provided some evidence of potential differences in the epidemiology of internal parasites between the counties. These findings may be utilised to inform future livestock intervention programmes in drought-prone areas.