ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR) - SHOULD ZAMBIA BE WORRIED?

Catastrophic pandemics such as COVID- 19 often lead to conspiracy theories as to why some people are more easily prone to infections than others. While individual immune systems do determine a person’s capacity to overcome an infection, the discovery of antimicrobials greatly improves the capacity to fight infectious agents. However there is a natural phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance which exists. This is the fact that microorganisms such as bacteria mutate over time and, they develop resistance to medications which previously could worked against them. This resistance is what is known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

Antimicrobial resistance is broad to include all pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites while antibiotic resistance is specific to medicines which are used against bacteria.

While antimicrobial resistance is a natural process, over use and misuse of drugs can accelerate the rate at which microorganisms develop resistance. This entails that when the human being or animal falls sick, they may not respond accordingly to the antibiotic treatment because the bacteria has developed resistance. Thus abuse of antibiotics such as self-prescription; not finishing a course of antibiotics; sharing a course of antibiotics are some of the leading ways in which human beings are causing antimicrobial resistance in humans or livestock.

A 'fair' Amount of Forage Seed Production

Farmers assessing cow pea variety at a Forage Seed Field Day held recently in Chirundu 

As the rain season hints at its near arrival, most farmers are stocking up their seed supplies. In enhancing appropriate seed choices, some farmers are privileged to attend seed fairs at which they are exposed to improved technologies and seed varieties, as well as recommended farming practices.

For farmers in dry areas, the decision on what to grow and which seed to use requires well researched decisions in order to ensure that a profitable yield is realized.

Seed fairs and field days continue to be popular platforms through which farmers can learn and share information on seed varieties that a best suited to different regions. Livestock farmers are not left out from such seed events.

KASEMPA ORPHANAGE GETS A BOOST THROUGH LIVESTOCK RESTOCKING EXERCISE

Representatives of beneficiary cooperatives in Kabompo

Making farming a business is a priority that the government continues to aggressively promote in Zambia. It is through farming that the economies of rural communities can be stimulated to grow and remain sustainable.

 For the livestock sub-sector in particular, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has embarked on an ongoing livestock stocking and restocking exercise with the aim of improving rural household incomes and playing its role in making farming a business. 

Through the Enhanced Livestock Investment Program (ESLIP), the Ministry intends to compensate the sub-sector for the losses it has incurred through various livestock diseases over the years while at the same time working towards improving livestock production systems. 

National Livestock Insurance Index Launched

A herd of cattle free-grazing

To say that 2020 has been one of the most unpredictable years in a long while, would be understatement. The COVID 19 pandemic coupled with increasingly visible effects of climate change has made planning for beyond 2021 slightly harder. This has proven to be true for the agriculture sector. 

While climate change has drastically affected the rainfall patterns as seen in recent farming seasons and enabled the outbreaks of disease and pestilences; the COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted some of the agriculture value chains and hence affected the income of many farmers.

With regard to the changing climate, scientists say that the developing world will be most affected by this growing environmental crisis, with smallholder rural farmers being among those who will be most affected.

The Ministry of Agriculture has undertaken strategies to enhance the adoption of agriculture insurance among smallholder farmers.

Through the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP), the Ministry of Agriculture has compelled FISP beneficiaries

PROJECT OWNERSHIP:A Success Story from Nakonde

Muleuke Weir in Nakonde district, Muchinga Province

Project ownership is integral to the sustainability of the goals and objectives of interventions that are implemented in rural communities. One effective way to achieve this is through community participation which involves communities identifying solutions to their problems and what they are willing to do to implement those solutions.

Community participation assures not only ownership but also accountability and the opportunity to the share benefits of the resources that many rely on.