Abstract:
We used a community engagement approach to develop a One Health profile of an agropastoralist
population at the interface of wildlife areas in eastern South Africa. Representatives
from 262 randomly-selected households participated in an in-person, cross-sectional survey.
Questions were designed to ascertain the participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices with
regard to human health, domestic animal health, and natural resources including wildlife and
water. Surveys were conducted within four selected villages by a team of trained surveyors and
translators over four weeks in July-August 2013. Questions were a combination of multiple
choice (single answer), multiple selection, open-ended, and Likert scale.
The study found that nearly three-quarters of all households surveyed reported owning at
least one animal (55% owned chickens, 31% dogs, 25% cattle, 16% goats, 9% cats, and 5%
pigs). Among the animal-owning respondents, health concerns identified included dissatisfaction
with government-run cattle dip facilities (97%) and frequent morbidity and mortality of chickens
that had clinical signs consistent with Newcastle disease (49%). Sixty-one percent of participants
believed that diseases of animals could be transmitted to humans. Ninety-six percent of
respondents desired greater knowledge about animal diseases. With regard to human health
issues, the primary barrier to health care access was related to transportation to/from the
community health clinics. Environmental health issues revealed by the survey included disparities by village in drinking water reliability and frequent domiciliary rodent sightings
positively associated with increased household size and chicken ownership. Attitudes towards
conservation were generally favorable; however, the community demonstrated a strong
preference for a dichotomous approach to wildlife management, one that separated wildlife from
humans.
Due to the location of the community, which neighbors the Great Limpopo Transfrontier
Conservation Area, and the livestock-dependent lifestyle of the resource-poor inhabitants, a One
Health approach that takes into consideration the interconnectedness of human, animal, and
environmental health is necessary. The community profile described in this study provides a
foundation for health research and planning initiatives that are driven by community engagement
and consider the multitude of factors affecting health at the human-domestic animal-wildlife
interface. Furthermore, it allows for the determination and quantification of the linkages between
human, animal, and environmental health.
