A QUALITATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD) ON SMALLHOLDER LIVESTOCK FARMING IN SIERRA LEONE, THE CASE OF SIX (6) DISTRICTS IN THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SIERRA LEONE

Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious, disease of cloven-hoofed animal species, and is caused by Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) of the genus Aphthovirus and the family Domesticated animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and water buffalo are susceptible to FMD. Wildlife species may also become infected especially cloven-hoofed species. Taking into account the limited resources of veterinary services for the implementation of animal disease surveillance anywhere and anytime, a qualitative risk assessment study was conducted to identify the areas at risk of introduction, spread and occurrence of the disease, in order to target and put in place precautionary control measures, including targeted surveillance. The risk query of the study was “What is the risk of introduction of FMD into Sierra Leone from neighboring countries, especially Guinea and Liberia as a result of the legal and illegal trade movements. The study was conducted through a purposive sampling strategy in 6 districts in North and North-East Sierra Leone. A total of 240 participants in 24 chiefdoms and 48 communities were recorded. Because of its qualitative attributes, the assessment employed a descriptive design to prompt information on the existing phenomena.  A total of 4 chiefdoms were randomly selected in each district, and 2 communities were selected in each chiefdom, with 5 household interviews conducted in each of the selected communities.  The study found that the risk of FMD getting into Sierra Leone from Guinea is Low.  Communities near the border within Guinea attested to the previous outbreak of FMD in 2018-2019, and since then, they have not witnessed a serious occurrence of the disease. There is a negligible risk of FMD getting into Sierra Leone because of the low movement of animal trade from Liberia, as compared to Guinea, where the majority of the animal movement takes place. The study recommends enhancing farmers' capacity to mitigate FMD risk of introduction and spread along the value chain actors (implementation of good practices, Biosecurity measures.