His responsibility is huge: the livestock he looks after in the Kazungula district includes more than 6600 cattle, 3800 goats, 150 sheep, 300 pigs, 15,000 chickens, 250 ducks, 400 guinea fowl and 150 donkeys as well as 4000 dogs and 200 cats – more than 30,000 animals in total!
Without the animals, humans cannot survive either. Their health is important to maintain the natural ecosystem and ensure adequate nutrition. However, there is usually a lack of basic necessities such as water, electricity, medicines or basic medical equipment and reliable means of transportation. In this rudimentary infrastructure, many processes that we take for granted present Athens Hamankolo with new challenges every day.
parasitic coccidiosis.
Humans and animals are threatened by a variety of diseases. For example, foot-and-mouth disease(FMD) and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) are particularly widespread among cattle.
The greatest threats to poultry flocks include the highly contagious Newcastle disease (NDV), infectious bursitis (IBD) and
parasitic coccidiosis.
Rabies is the most dangerous disease in dogs. Many of these diseases could be prevented with vaccinations, but the necessary vaccines are often not available. However, these are urgently needed, for example to vaccinate cattle against FMD twice a year and around 9,000 chickens against NDV every quarter.
Athens hopes that he will be able to stock the medicines required for treatment in the new veterinary clinic. However, it is just as important for him to have a means of transportation to get to the farms, which are up to 300 km away. What’s more, many illnesses increase, especially in the rainy season, when it is even more difficult or even impossible to get there without your own vehicle. A motorcycle or a sturdy used car would therefore be extremely helpful. This would also enable him to estimate the number of animals more accurately and plan their treatment better, as well as vaccinating the dogs in his area once a year.
Despite the many difficulties, Athens’ Hamankolo is optimistic about the future. In order to be better prepared for these, he would like additional training in surgical techniques and laboratory skills.
