The Karamoja sub-region in northern Uganda is characterized by agropastoralist and pastoralist livelihood systems, with a reliance on livestock for human food and nutrition, income, and social capital. Livestock disease is a major constraint to livelihoods in Karamoja and causes death of animals. Disease also has important impacts on milk supply and the availability of animals for sale.
Areas such as Karamoja pose particular challenges for the design of veterinary services, because they are relatively remote, have poor infrastructure, and the livestock herds are mobile. This situation increases the cost of conventional service delivery models based on fixed-point facilities and makes the area unattractive for veterinary professionals.
In the early 1990s, community-based animal health workers (CAHWs) were introduced to Karamoja under the Participatory Community-based Vaccination and Animal Health Project of the Organization of African Unity/
Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, in partnership with the Government of Uganda.
A range of different CAHW projects has been implemented over the last 25 years. This review takes stock of these projects, along with veterinary services and livestock disease control in general in Karamoja today.
