Accessibility of veterinary health information and its association with the uptake of veterinary drug residue contaminated products among farmers in Bugesera District, Rwanda

Abstract

Veterinary drug residue contaminated products result from extensive use of veterinary drugs in farm animals and poor adherence to the drug withdrawal period. The uptake of veterinary drug residue contaminated products poses human health risks, including antimicrobial resistance, cancer, and birth defects, among others. This study aims to determine the accessibility of veterinary health information and the relationship of this information with livestock farmers' knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) regarding the uptake of veterinary drug residue contaminated products in Bugesera District. A mixed-methods, cross-sectional study was conducted among 236 farmers supplying meat and milk in Bugesera District. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, and Focus Group Discussions. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to summarize the quantitative data. Fisher's exact test and crosstabulations were employed for inferential analysis. A 95 % confidence interval was applied, and statistical significance was considered at a p value ≤0.05. The strength of association was measured using the odds ratio (OR). Qualitative Data were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that 65.68 % of respondents accessed veterinary health information on the uptake of veterinary drug residue contaminated products through training on meat and milk safety and 88.56 %, and 11.44 % through veterinary service delivery from private public partnerships. Inferential analysis showed that access to veterinary health information was strongly associated with the non-uptake of veterinary drug residue contaminated milk where trained respondents were 65 % less likely to deliver veterinary drug residue contaminated milk to Milk Collection Centers (MCCs), (OR = 0.35; 95 % CI = 0.18-0.68). The study found a need for more comprehensive public private partnerships in veterinary health education, as well as the implementation of other protective measures, such as improved methods of destroying condemned carcasses, to prevent and control drug residues within the One Health ecosystem.