19 Aug 2018

Measles has a negative economic impact on the beef industry, livestock farming and the national economy, says Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security permanent secretary, Mr Jimmy Opelo.

Speaking at the launch of the national measles control strategy at Dibete recently, Mr Opelo noted that the national measles prevalence fluctuated between eight and 10 per cent.

“The prevalence rate is much higher than that of neighbouring countries and is particularly limiting our ability to access lucrative markets offered by the European Union,” he said.

He said cattle with measles were either condemned or their carcasses detained for cold treatment depending on the number of cysts found in the carcass.

Mr Opelo noted that measles affected three major sectors involved in the process of producing beef. He named them as the farmer or producer, the abattoir and the national economy.

In an effort to combat measles, Mr Opelo said government spearheaded a multi-sectoral stakeholder task team to develop a national strategy.

He said the overall objective of the measles control strategy was to reduce the prevalence rate to less than two per cent by 2023.

He said the focus would be on reducing pollution of grazing land and improving partnerships, networking and information sharing with key stakeholders.

Mr Opelo noted that measles was caused by a tapeworm that lived in the intestines of human beings, and that cattle got infected with the parasite when grazing or drinking water contaminated with human waste containing eggs of the tape worm.

“Human beings get the disease by eating undercooked meat from infected cattle,” he said.

A representative of Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), Mr Mooketsi Madome said over the past five years the three abattoirs of Lobatse, Francistown and Maun had on average registered nine per cent of measles in the cattle slaughtered.

Mr Madome said over 72 000 slaughtered cattle at the three abattoirs had traces of measles, and that 649 were condemned.

He said the condemned carcasses were not suitable for human consumption and that the farmers lost as they did not earn even a thebe.

He said after a lengthy process of freezing to kill traces of measles, the meat would only be sold to the local market.

Mr Madome noted that in the last five years farmers lost a cumulative amount of P131 million which could have been used to improve the beef industry.

“As BMC we are also affected as we incur cost of freezing the meat to kill measles,” he said.

Mr Madome said BMC lost P353 million spent transporting, feeding and slaughtering cattle that were ultimately condemned as a result of measles.

Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) lecturer, Dr Solomon Ramabu cautioned farmers to avoid watering livestock with sewage wastewater.

Dr Ramabu said there was a desire to have a vaccine that would prevent measles infection in livestock. “Currently we do not have that vaccine,” he said.

However, Dr Ramabu said BUAN in collaboration with other stakeholders such as Botswana Vaccine Institute, Botswana Institute for Technology, Research and Innovation, Botswana International University of Science and Technology and University of Botswana were conducting study with the hope of establishing a vaccine to prevent measles.

Dr Ramabu appealed to the farming community to take advantage of technical expertise at BUAN to provide assistance on any challenges likely to affect the growth of the agricultural sector.

In relation to fighting measles, Dr Ramabu said in collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Services, BUAN had during the period between 2012 and 2017 trained 217 meat inspectors.

Mahalapye West Member of Parliament, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele was equally concerned by disposal of human waste.

Mr Makgalemele said providing toilets at all identified hot spots would be primary in promoting the fight against measles.

He hailed the launching of the strategy as a major milestone which would only be achieved with the involvement of all concerned.

He said the fight against beef measles was a national concern calling for concerted efforts.

Mr Makgalemele said President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s road map called for the growth of the private sector and creation of employment, adding that such would only be achieved by growing the agricultural sector.

Kgosi Lekgathanye Mabua appealed to the community to play a pivotal role in fighting beef measles noting that indiscriminate disposal of used nappies was a challenge to the fight against beef measles. ENDS