Whereas the vice has been trending on different media recently, it’s not new as several farmers confirm the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARV) for fast growth and disease management in animals. The Central Diagnostic Laboratory College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resource and Biosecurity, Makerere University carried out intensive research on chicken liver, chicken serum, pork serum samples which marjority turned ARV positive as the drug remained on the tissue.
Though several Districts were sampled i.e Kampala, Luwero, Gulu, Wakiso, Kitgum, Mpigi etc, results shows that not all farmers are in the practice as in some farms animals were tested ARV negative.
Farmers in Kampala, Wakiso and Gulu Districts were reported of the vice however they disclosed that given the circumstances of limited drugs to control the Newcastle disease virus in chicken and African swine fever in pigs, ARV a strong drug for humans was thought of as a solution efficient for animals. This misconception and misuse of drugs are a result of limited knowledge in disease management and formal training by farmers as most learned husbandry from neighbouring farms, coupled with expensive and scarce Veterinary services.
Experts believe frequent consumption of the drugs in poultry and piggery will cause drug resistance in individuals and side effects such as obesity among others. National Drug Authority (NDA) and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) disclosed that these issues have been reported to them though Frank Tumwebaze and the President of the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), Dr. Dick Kamuganga said they were not aware of the practice.
The concerns however is focused on how the drug that is limited in health facilities to treat HIV patients end up in farms. Well, it’s reported that patients register into several facilities to pick drugs and sell some to farmers. NDA and UNBS believe the practice is one that’s hard to control, except government put in place a digital tracking system to track patients’ records.
Regardless of educational standards, a certain percentage of farmers agree drugs meant to treat humans shouldn’t be used in animals and would not eat the meat, though others think otherwise.
