Farmer perceptions and management strategies of trypanosomian risk in the Mouhoun basin (Burkina Faso)

Farmer perceptions and management strategies of trypanosomian risk in the Mouhoun basin (Burkina Faso) African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) remains an obstacle to sustainable development of livestock breeding in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular in the Mouhoun river basin, Burkina Faso. Nowadays, use of local knowledge and the implication of beneficiary communities seem essential for sustainable control of AAT. Two participative methods were used: the Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) and the Accelerated Participatory Research Method (APRM or PRA). They made it possible to describe two types of livestock systems based on breeding techniques. Risk perception in the various groups was estimated by qualitative methods and a scoring method based on semi-open questionnaires. The level of perceived risk was mainly correlated to the site and matched more or less with the risk as estimated from serological and entomological studies, with however less accuracy and precision. The control strategies, based essentially on the use of trypanocides, were still widely decided upon and applied by the farmers themselves. The PRA showed that avoidance of host-vector contact was an effective strategy, but rarely feasible. These methods of participatory epidemiology constitute practical tools for any sanitary advice well adapted to the context.