MaziwaPlus: Reducing mastitis incidence and improving antibiotic stewardship in Kenyan smallholder dairy systems

Overview

Mastitis in cows is an inflammation of the udder, often caused by bacterial infections, which can lead to decreased milk production and quality.

It can be classified as clinical, where symptoms are visible, or subclinical, where no obvious signs are present but infection is detected through testing.

Mastitis is associated with significant economic losses and widespread use of antibiotics in smallholder dairy systems.

Working closely with farmers, animal health providers and dairy co-operatives, the project seeks to understand the behaviours and practices around mastitis management and antibiotic use, the barriers to effective mastitis management and the economic impact of the disease.

These insights will inform a suite of tailored interventions designed to improve animal health and milk yields, leading to higher farmer incomes and stronger, safer and more sustainable dairy systems.

Objectives

• Analyze behaviours and practices around mastitis management and antibiotic use among smallholder dairy farmers and animal health providers and identify key barriers to effective disease management.
• Investigate the direct and indirect economic costs of mastitis at the farm, co-operative and national levels in Kenya and model the potential impact of different prevention strategies.
• Co-develop, test, implement and evaluate context-specific mastitis control interventions targeting farmers, animal health providers and dairy co-operatives.
• Develop a draft national mastitis control strategy for Kenya.