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Cattle eradication and malnutrition in under five's: a natural experiment in Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Eelco Boonstra ,
Morten Lindbæk ,
Boga Fidzani  and
Dag Bruusgaard
Eelco Boonstra*
Affiliation:
Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1130, Blindern, N-0317 Oslo1, Norway:
Morten Lindbæk
Affiliation:
Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1130, Blindern, N-0317 Oslo1, Norway:
Boga Fidzani
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Planning & Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, PB 003 Gaborone, Botswana
Dag Bruusgaard
Affiliation:
Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1130, Blindern, N-0317 Oslo1, Norway:
*
*Corresponding author: Email eelco_boonstra@hotmail.com
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Abstract

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Background:

An outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in the northern part of Botswana in 1996 was contained through eradication of all heads of cattle in Ngamiland district (Ngami East and West) in the period April 1996 to February 1997. This disaster posed a serious threat to those who depended on the livestock sector for sustenance and to the nutrition security of the population, especially the under five's.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the cattle eradication on the nutritional status of children.

Method:

A secondary analysis of existing data from the Botswana National Nutrition Surveillance System enabled us to study the impact of this disaster on malnutrition in the under five's by comparing quarterly malnutrition rates for Ngami East with national figures for the period of January 1995 to March 1998.

Results:

While the risk for malnutrition among under five's in Ngami East increased from 0.046 to 0.105 during the study period, giving a relative risk of 2.299, the increase in risk for Botswana was from 0.133 to 0.139, giving a relative risk of 1.048. The attributable risk for cattle eradication impact on malnutrition was 4.6% for Botswana and 54.4% for Ngami East.

Conclusion:

The cattle eradication impacted seriously on the food and nutrition security of the under five's in Ngami East, compared with the country as a whole.

Keywords

Cattle lung disease (CBPP)National nutritional surveillanceMalnutritionUnder five'sBotswana
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 4 , Issue 4 , August 2001 , pp. 877 - 882
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2001

References

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