Predicting uptake of a malignant catarrhal fever vaccine by pastoralists in northern Tanzania: Opportunities for improving livelihoods and ecosystem health

Catherine Decker, Nick Hanley, Mikolaj Czajkowski, Thomas A. Morrison, Julius Keyyu, Linus Munishi, Felix Lankester and Sarah Cleaveland

Ecological Economics, 2021, vol. 190, issue C

Abstract: Malignant Catarhal Fever (MCF), caused by a virus transmitted from asymptomatic wildebeest, is a lethal disease in cattle that threatens livestock-based livelihoods and food security in many areas of Africa. Many herd owners reduce transmission risks by moving cattle away from infection hot-spots, but this imposes considerable economic burdens on their households. The advent of a partially-protective vaccine for cattle opens up new options for disease prevention. In a study of pastoral households in northern Tanzania, we use stated preference choice modelling to investigate how pastoralists would likely respond to the availability of such a vaccine. We show a high probability of likely vaccine uptake by herd owners, declining at higher vaccine costs. Acceptance increases with more efficaceous vaccines, in situations where vaccinated cattle are ear-tagged, and where vaccine is delivered through private vets. Through analysis of Normalized Density Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, we show that the reported MCF incidence over 5 years is highest in areas where the mean and interannual varibility in vegetative greeness is relatively low and where herds sizes are smaller. Trends towards lower rainfall and greater landscape-level constraints on cattle movement suggest that MCF avoidance through traditional movement away from wildebeest will become more challenging and that demand for an MCF vaccine will likely increase.

Keywords: One Health; Human/Wildlife Conflicts; Livestock Diseases; Tanzania; Choice Modelling; Vaccines (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Working Paper: Predicting uptake of a malignant catarrhal fever vaccine by pastoralists in northern Tanzania: opportunities for improving livelihoods and ecosystem health (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:190:y:2021:i:c:s0921800921002482

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107189

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