By Ebenezer T. Bifubyeka
UGANDA’S 45th independence anniversary comes with independence of goats from diseases, courtesy of the US$1,000 microscope and laboratory kit donated by Western College of Veterinary Medicine of Saskatchewan University in Canada.
As a third-world country, Uganda has been importing microscopes to detect parasites in human beings. As Uganda celebrates independence on October 9, 2007, goats in Isingiro district under Foundation for AIDS-orphaned children (FAOC) projects also celebrate the acquisition of a microscope, exclusively for their own medical use!
The goats will benefit from laboratory tests against brucellosis and intestinal parasites such as worms. Beneficiaries of goats from FAOC like widows and orphans will smile too since they will be rearing healthy animals that will help to fetch increased household incomes.
The director of FAOC, Boaz Buyinza told The New Vision that Prof. Claire Card; from the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada sent the microscope with a field kit and stethoscope (to detect diseases in goats) through Dan DeLury.
“Veterinary students from Makerere University and University of Saskatchewan are regularly coming to FAOC centre in Mbarara to share and apply practical skills in veterinary. Dr. Card has facilitated Vivian Leung and Daniel DeLury to do research here. Last month, Dr. Card visited Kishuru, Kikokwa and Kahenda parishes in Isingiro to help train beneficiaries in goat production,” he said.
Daniel DeLury from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada (shown on the photograph above - guiding Mr. Buyinza [right] and FAOC's programme Co-ordinator, Catherine H. Omella [in the middle] on how to use a microscope) said that some of the uses of a lab: “We test milk for brucellosis using the vacuum flasks, test tubes and reagent, faeces (dung) for worms and parasites using the sieve, microscope, and egg counting chamber; as well, we can take blood samples using the ‘vaccuntainer’ equipment to test for various diseases.”
Handing over the equipment to Buyinza on Tuesday, DeLury said, “We are also trying to use a simpler type of worm test, where we check the conjunctiva (the lower inside part of a goats’ eye) for colour. If it is red, the animal is healthy, if it is white, there may be a high concentration of worms in the animal’s gut.”
DeLury suggested that in current practices, farmers de-worm goats every three months, whether animals have worms or not. “This uses valuable resources, and may stress some animals needlessly. If we knew which animals had worms, we could be more selective with de-worming medicines. Through better identification practices, it could be possible to only de-worm animals that need it, saving money, time, and lowering animal stressors.”
He said they are initiating an artificial insemination (AI) program using exotic semen from Canada. The hope is that FAOC can help to improve the milk and meat production of local breeds. AI is cheaper than shipping exotic or hybrid animals to Uganda.
DeLury said FAOC is currently achieving the above in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan, Makerere University, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. He said they may also be able to use the lab for other projects such as tissue culture that is used to propagate highly productive plants very quickly.
DeLury handed over a microscope and a field kit containing: a stethoscope, slides, field plastic test-tubes and their holders, vacuum flasks (to keep reagents warm in the field), vaccuntainers and tongue-twisters among others, to Buyinza for establishing a veterinary lab at FAOC offices.
Buyinza however said that over the past five-years, FAOC has donated over 300 goats and pigs to households of widows and orphans in six parishes within Birere sub-county in Isingiro district through a ‘goat and pig pass-on project’ - funded by McKnight foundation in U.S.A.
“FAOC distributes local breeds and provides purebred bucks (males) for improving the local genetics. The offspring of the local-purebred union will produce a crossbred animal with benefits of each parent – hardy like the local goats, with improved quantity and quality of milk and meat,” he said, adding that FAOC is mobilising funds to extend its services to Mbarara district.
Ends.
As a third-world country, Uganda has been importing microscopes to detect parasites in human beings. As Uganda celebrates independence on October 9, 2007, goats in Isingiro district under Foundation for AIDS-orphaned children (FAOC) projects also celebrate the acquisition of a microscope, exclusively for their own medical use!
The goats will benefit from laboratory tests against brucellosis and intestinal parasites such as worms. Beneficiaries of goats from FAOC like widows and orphans will smile too since they will be rearing healthy animals that will help to fetch increased household incomes.
The director of FAOC, Boaz Buyinza told The New Vision that Prof. Claire Card; from the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada sent the microscope with a field kit and stethoscope (to detect diseases in goats) through Dan DeLury.
“Veterinary students from Makerere University and University of Saskatchewan are regularly coming to FAOC centre in Mbarara to share and apply practical skills in veterinary. Dr. Card has facilitated Vivian Leung and Daniel DeLury to do research here. Last month, Dr. Card visited Kishuru, Kikokwa and Kahenda parishes in Isingiro to help train beneficiaries in goat production,” he said.
Daniel DeLury from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada (shown on the photograph above - guiding Mr. Buyinza [right] and FAOC's programme Co-ordinator, Catherine H. Omella [in the middle] on how to use a microscope) said that some of the uses of a lab: “We test milk for brucellosis using the vacuum flasks, test tubes and reagent, faeces (dung) for worms and parasites using the sieve, microscope, and egg counting chamber; as well, we can take blood samples using the ‘vaccuntainer’ equipment to test for various diseases.”
Handing over the equipment to Buyinza on Tuesday, DeLury said, “We are also trying to use a simpler type of worm test, where we check the conjunctiva (the lower inside part of a goats’ eye) for colour. If it is red, the animal is healthy, if it is white, there may be a high concentration of worms in the animal’s gut.”
DeLury suggested that in current practices, farmers de-worm goats every three months, whether animals have worms or not. “This uses valuable resources, and may stress some animals needlessly. If we knew which animals had worms, we could be more selective with de-worming medicines. Through better identification practices, it could be possible to only de-worm animals that need it, saving money, time, and lowering animal stressors.”
He said they are initiating an artificial insemination (AI) program using exotic semen from Canada. The hope is that FAOC can help to improve the milk and meat production of local breeds. AI is cheaper than shipping exotic or hybrid animals to Uganda.
DeLury said FAOC is currently achieving the above in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan, Makerere University, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. He said they may also be able to use the lab for other projects such as tissue culture that is used to propagate highly productive plants very quickly.
DeLury handed over a microscope and a field kit containing: a stethoscope, slides, field plastic test-tubes and their holders, vacuum flasks (to keep reagents warm in the field), vaccuntainers and tongue-twisters among others, to Buyinza for establishing a veterinary lab at FAOC offices.
Buyinza however said that over the past five-years, FAOC has donated over 300 goats and pigs to households of widows and orphans in six parishes within Birere sub-county in Isingiro district through a ‘goat and pig pass-on project’ - funded by McKnight foundation in U.S.A.
“FAOC distributes local breeds and provides purebred bucks (males) for improving the local genetics. The offspring of the local-purebred union will produce a crossbred animal with benefits of each parent – hardy like the local goats, with improved quantity and quality of milk and meat,” he said, adding that FAOC is mobilising funds to extend its services to Mbarara district.
Ends.
Word count: 672 words.
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