ECAISA Pilot Project Overview
In 2005, some Provinces of South Africa (the Eastern Cape among others) faced an outbreak of Classical Swine Fever. This is an OIE listed disease absent from the country since 1918. During the subsequent depopulation effort (2006–2007) several difficulties were encountered, including significant discrepancies between reported and observed animal numbers. The outbreak uncovered the need of accurate and up to date animal numbers for the Province and for the whole country. The main purpose for obtaining this accurate information is disease management & control, vaccination campaigns and different support programs especially for rural farmers and their communities.
This project evaluated, as a main topic, the possibility of using sampling census in contrast to complete enumeration. The sampling techniques evaluated were simple random sampling and stratified random sampling. The current existing sources of information, financial and logistic requirements for a Province wide census effort were also evaluated. Recommendations on whether a complete enumeration, a sampling approach or a combined procedure (complete enumeration + sampling procedures) were given and a new field tested questionnaire was produced
This pilot census study, its recommendations and lessons learned will be base for the next animal census expected to take place in the near future. This future census effort will cover the whole Eastern Cape Province and will provide key information needed for adequate disease monitoring, disease outbreak control and farmer support programs.
