December 11 – 13, 2012 at the Imperial Maeping Chiang
Mai Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand

EIGHT YEARS (2004-2012) OF TEACHING PARTICIPATORY
EPIDEMIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN,
NIGERIA.
Author:
Babalobi, Olutayo Olajide (DVM, MPVM, PhD; FCVSN),
Senior Lecturer/Consultant Epizootiologist (Veterinary
Epidemiologist),
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive
Medicine,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Ibadan,
Ibadan, Nigeria
2

HISTORY OF PE IN NIGERIA
PE is known to be introduced and established in
Nigeria via two routes-
i. Through postgraduate academic /research training by
the author, a Senior Lecturer/Consultant Epizootiologist
(Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics) at the
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive
Medicine DVPHPM, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
FVM, University of Ibadan UI, Ibadan, Nigeria from
2004,
3

HISTORY OF PE IN NIGERIA
and
ii. Through the Early Detection Reporting
Surveillance: Avian Influenza in Africa (EDRSAIA)
capacity building exercise on Participatory
Epidemiology (PE) and Participatory Disease
Surveillance (PDS) for Highly Pathogenic Avian
Influenza (HPAI) for veterinary personnel in Nigeria
by the International Livestock Research Institute
(ILRI) in 2008-2009.
4

HISTORY OF PE IN NIGERIA
The author’s interest and commitment to PE and its
various components c0uld be traced as follows:
i. personal e-mail interactions with Dr Andy Catley, then of
the Community Animal and Participatory Epidemiology
CAPE Unit, PACE Programme, OAU/IBAR, Nairobi, Kenya
around 2004
ii. Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) Seattle, Washington
organized International workshop on the training (of
trainers) of Community Animal Health Workers held in Jinja,
Uganda, from Sept. 22nd through October 6th, 2005 ; and
iii. Various PE training publications from AU/IBAR, FAO,
IIED,OIE etc. by Catley, Mariner, et al.
5

HISTORY OF PE IN NIGERIA
PE training commenced at the Department of Veterinary
Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of
Ibadan, Nigeria since 2004 when PE was officially added
and adopted as part of a PVM 711: ADVANCED
EPIZOOTIOLOGY, a compulsory course of the Masters
curricula of the department.
The target beneficiaries have been the students offering
any of the three Masters programs in the Department-
MPVM, MVPH, MSc Epizootiology; as well as any student
(especially government veterinarians), who wish to apply
PE for an MPhil/PhD or PhD programme.
6

HISTORY OF PE IN NIGERIA
Taught by the author since 2004, he has also
-supervised eight (8) Masters PE projects
- currently supervising two (2) PE-related PhD,
- delivered five (5) PE workshop lectures extra-
mural
- given five (5) PE presentations at local and
international conferences and
- have (6) PE journal publications.
7

HISTORY OF PE IN NIGERIA
Also personally embarked on the following specific research topics:
i. Participatory Epizootiology Research of the Igangan Grazing Reserve in
Ibarapa Agro-Pastoral zone Of Southwest Nigeria. Senate Research Grant
2007 SRG/FVM/2006/9A. Category A- Individual Research Projects.
ii. Participatory Base-line Research Survey and Training at the Eruwa
Veterinary Field Station, Ibarapa Agro-Pastoral Zone, Oyo State,
Southwest Nigeria. University of Ibadan Senate Research Grant 2007
SRC/FVM/4B/2006. Category B- Inter-Department, Multidisciplinary
Research Project
iii. Training and supervision of Postgraduate Students Project,
Dissertations and Thesis in the application of Participatory Epizootiology
to Pastoralism in selected Grazing Reserves in Nigeria.
8

Lecture Contents
a. Review of the evolution and concept of
participatory epizootiology
b. Participatory/clinical/laboratory diagnosis
c. Principles and paradigm shifts of Animal
Health and Production development (Farming
Systems-technical, social, cultural, economic and
ecological)
d. Community Assessment and Participatory
appraisal
9

Lecture Contents
e. Participatory Research terms and tools
RRA (Rapid Rural Appraisal), PRA
(Participatory Rural Appraisal), PLA
(Participatory Learning and Action).
Institutional Mapping/Venn diagramming,
matrixes, mapping, seasonal calendars and
timelines, Community Inventory or Semi-
structured interviewing, Focus Group
Discussions, transect walks, wealth ranking
10

Lecture Contents
f. Participatory Epizootiology Methods
Animal Health Surveys, Needs Assessments
and Action Plans
Monitoring, Impact Assessments and
Evaluations
Ethno-veterinary studies
Participatory Disease Searching
Disease Modelling
11

Table 1: Workplace distribution of PG students who choose PE-based project at
the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan , Ibadan, Nigeria (2004-2012)
Work place Academics Research institute Government Service Private Practice
Number/ Nil Three(3) 37.50%: Three (3) 37.50%: Two (2) 25.00%:
Name/ Ogunwale Ibironke Kareem, A. A. (2009/2010): A Idowu O.S. (2003/2004):
Participatory Baseline Survey of
Project Title (2005/2006): Participatory Participatory
Rural Livestock Health
Appraisal of Livestock Management Practices in Epizootiology Research of
Diseases with Livestock- Igangan Agro -Pastoral Zone, Animal Health in Olunde
Keeping Women of Oyo State Nigeria: The place of Village, Lanlate, Oyo State
Community Based Animal Health
Awotan, Ido LGA, Oyo Nigeria. MPVM/
Workers. MPVM.
State, Nigeria. MPVH
2005/2006. Soleye Mariat. (2010/2011): Idowu O.S. (2010-date).
Participatory Appraisal of Developing a Community-
Transboundary Animal Diseases
Bolajoko M.B. Based Animal Health
in rural villages in Ogun State,
(2005/2006): Evaluation of Nigeria. MPVM Model for Private Rural
Animal Disease Reporting Veterinary Practice in
System in Oyo State Alhaji N.B. (2010/2011): Fashola, Oyo North, Oyo
Participatory Epizootiology of
Nigeria 1995- 2005). State, Nigeria: A case
Contagious Bovine Pleuro-
MPVM. pneumonia: its Prevalence and study. PhD proposal.
Economic Impact in Niger State,
Morakinyo O. Nigeria. MPVM/ Fashina A. (2011/2012) :
(2008/2009): Participatory Participatory
Alhaji N.B. Matric (2012 to date).
Appraisal of Peste Des Participatory Epizootiology of Epizootiology of
Petite Ruminates (PPR) in Contagious Bovine Pastoralism at the Paikon-
Iseyin Local Government Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Kore Grazing Reserve in
Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral
Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Gwagwalada Area Council,
Cattle Herds in Niger State,
MPVM Nigeria PhD proposal 2012 Federal Capital Territory,
Nigeria MPVM
12

POSTGRADUATE PE PROJECT
SUPERVISED (2004- DATE)
The nil academic workplace distribution can
be explained by the fact that while most
academics are more into conventional
clinical and laboratory-based qualitative
veterinary inquiry methodologies, PE is a
field and ethnoveterinary/indigenous
knowledge based qualitative method not
given much value by biased academics.
13

POSTGRADUATE PE PROJECT
SUPERVISED (2004- DATE)
It is instructive to note that three (3) working at
Research Institutes at present were unemployed at
the time of PG training
Interestingly, all the three government
veterinarians- two from the Federal government and
one from the UI hosting Oyo State-came in for PE
training, after the 2008-2009 EDRSAIA training
Obviously the implementation of the EDRSAIA PE
training must have “opened the eyes” of the
government veterinarians to the efficacy of PE
methods application (see Anzaku S. A. (2009);
14

PE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
The author has delivered six (6) PE papers at local conferences,
four of which were with supervised Masters students:
i. Idowu O. and BABALOBI O. O (2007): The Place of
Community Based Animal Health Workers (CBAHW) In Rural
Livestock Health and Production Management in South-West
Nigeria: A Case Study. Proceedings, Scientific Session of the 44th
Annual Congress of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical
Association, Warri Delta State, Nigeria. Pp 265 -270.
ii. BABALOBI O.O and Idowu O. (2007) Community Animal
Health Workers as Agents of Positive Change in African Rural
Livestock Communities: A Review. Proceedings, Scientific
Session of the 44th Annual Congress of the Nigerian Veterinary
Medical Association, Warri Delta State, Nigeria. Pp 270-272.
15

PE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
iii. Ogunwale Ibironke and BABALOBI O. O. (2007):
Community Based Participatory Epizootiology of Livestock
kept by Awotan Women, Ido LGA, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Proceedings, Scientific Session of the 44th Annual Congress of
the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Warri Delta
State, Nigeria. Pp 293-296
iv. Kareem A. A. and BABALOBI O. O. (2010):
Participatory Baseline Survey of Rural Livestock Health
Management Practices In Igangan Agro -Pastoral Zone, Oyo
State Nigeria: The Place Of Community Based Animal Health
Workers. Presented at the 2010 47th Annual Congress of the
Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Makurdi, Benue
State. October 2010.
16

PE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
The other two delivered at an international conference are from the
presenter’s research:
i. Babalobi O. O (2009): Application of Participatory Epizootiology
approach to the monitoring and surveillance of Contagious Bovine
Pleuro-pneumonia, an enzootic disease identified by settlers in a Fulani
agro-pastoralist settlement scheme, the Igangan Grazing Reserve, Oyo
state, Southwest Nigeria. Pre-ISVEE XII workshop- Discussing the
Development of Methods for effective surveillance in Livestock
Populations. August 6-8, Durban, Republic of South Africa.
ii. Babalobi O. O. (2009): Participatory Epizootiology Research of
Settled Pastoralists of the Igangan Grazing Reserve, Oyo state, Southwest
Nigeria. ‘Epidemiology Unplugged-Providing power for better health’: The
Twelfth Conference of the International Society for Veterinary
Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE XII). 10 - 14 August 2009, Durban,
South Africa
17

PE PUBLICATIONS
Five PE Publications
Three (3) are co-publications from supervised PE
students projects
One is from the author’s research project
The fifth is a problem-solving collaborative report
from three PE practitioners
- a veterinary academic,
- a veterinary researcher and
- a government veterinary officer.
18

PE CO-PUBLICATIONS
i. Babalobi, O.O. and Idowu, O. (2005): ‘The Paradigm of
Community-Based Participatory Epizootiology: A Review’.
Tropical Veterinarian. Vol. 23 (3&4) 69-77.
ii. Idowu O.S. and Babalobi O.O. (2010). Animal Health
Management Perspectives of Rural Livestock Farmers in
Southwest Nigeria: The Place of Community Based Animal
Health Workers. Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 31 (1), 26-
36. 2010
iii. Ogunwale I. and Babalobi O. O. (2010): Ethno-
Veterinary Medicine Perspectives of Common Diseases and
Health Problems of Livestock kept by Rural Women in
South-West Nigeria: A Case Study. Nigerian Veterinary
Journal Vol. 31(4) 255 – 262.
19

PE RESEARCH PUBLICATION
Babalobi O. O. (2011). A Participatory Epizootiology
Research of Settled Pastoralists in Igangan Grazing
Reserve, Southern Guinea Agro-Pastoral Zone, Oyo
State, Nigeria: First Report. Nigerian Veterinary Journal,
Vol. 32 (1). 2011; and
Babalobi O. O., M.B. Bolajoko and S.A. Anzaku (2011):
Participatory animal disease surveillance, panacea to the
bane of animal disease under-reporting in Nigeria: A
collaborative report. Tropical Veterinarian 29 (3) 36-40
20

WORKSHOP/ TRAINING LECTURES
Beyond the walls of the University
The author delivered the various PE Lecture
presentations during
i. the CDC/USAID/AFENET - NIGERIAN FIELD
EPIDEMIOLOGY LABORATORY TRAINING
PROGRAMME (N-FELTP) Zoonoses Outbreaks
Surveillance and Management (ZOSM) Workshop
Vom, Nigeria October 2009, and
ii. NFELTP 2008 Cluster Set lectures in 2010:
21

Discussion
At least one other departmental lecturer has
shown interest in PE teaching.
PE is gradually been adopted in veterinary
circles in Nigeria especially by government
veterinarians who have been exposed to PE
training and
PE is now included as part of the Nigeria
Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training
Program’s One Health Curriculum.
22

Discussion
PE has been identified as a cheap, effective low
capital input research projects by students and
practitioners in Nigeria.
Traditional settler research beneficiaries have been
effectively involved in identification of local
animal disease, production problems and need for
improved animal disease outbreak notification,
PE research led to Community Based Animal
Health training of nominated pastoral settlers.
23

PE CONSTRAINSTS IN NIGERIA
Misunderstanding and opposition of PE as a non-
conventional and qualitative research approach
from academic colleagues,
Need to get more departmental lecturers to be PE
compliant to prevent sole lecturing by the author
and
PE research funding poor in Nigeria. Out of the
eight (8) Postgraduate students supervised
between 2004 – date, only two (2) could be
accommodated under the University Senate Grant.
24

PE CONSTRAINSTS IN NIGERIA
Apart from University of Ibadan (and maybe
one or two others), PE is not known to be
taught in most veterinary faculties in
Nigeria
PE supportive institutional and policy
frameworks are currently lacking in Nigeria
the migratory pattern of pastoralists also
affects effective year-round monitoring and
surveillance of enzootic disease using PE
25

Conclusion and Recommendations
There is support for PE as practical, effective low-cost
and sustainable strategy for the identification,
prevention, control, monitoring and surveillance of
livestock diseases and production problems among
pastoral communities in Nigeria.
However, PE supportive institutional and policy
frameworks, which are currently lacking in Nigeria,
should first be developed and adopted.
26

Conclusion and Recommendations
DVPHPM, UI should upgrade PE as a compulsory
course on its own not part of another course
It is necessary to encourage other veterinary
faculties in Nigeria to include PE in their
curriculum, and also adopt a standard PE
curriculum for use in Nigeria.
The regulatory Veterinary Council of Nigeria
should adopt and make PE a core competent
course at both undergraduate and postgraduate
levels
27

Conclusion and Recommendations
Need for ILRI/PENAPH to collaborate with the
Universities in PE training in Nigeria (The 2008-2009
EDRAISA training held in same Ibadan without
involving University of Ibadan/DVPHPM/the author)
AFENET should support and promote PE in NFELTP
Africa as much as in East, Central and South Africa
PENAPH should support and promote PE in West
Africa as much as in it is doing in Asia
28

REFERENCES
Anzaku S. A. (2009): Participatory Approaches in Disease Surveillance: The Nigeria Experience.
Presented at the Nigeria Short Course on Control of Zoonotic Infections, Surveillance, Investigation,
Detection and Response, National Veterinary Research Institute NVRI, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria. 13th
October, 2009.
Babalobi O.O, O. O. (2005): ’Professional Issues for the Nigerian Veterinarian in the twenty-first century.
Nigeria Veterinary Journal. Vol. 26 (2). 1-7.
Babalobi O.O (2011): Early Detection Reporting Surveillance: Avian Influenza in Africa (EDRSAIA)
Evaluation
Catley, A. (2005). Participatory Epidemiology: A Guide for Trainers. AfricanUnion/Interafrican Bureau
for Animal Resources, Nairobi.
Catley Andy and Jeffrey Mariner (Eds.) (2001). Participatory epidemiology: lesson learned and future
directions. Proceedings of a workshop held in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nov.15th-17th 2001
Mariner, J.C., 2000. Manual on Participatory Epidemiology. FAO Animal Health Manual No. 10. Food and
Agriculture Organisation, Rome.
29

APPRECIATIONS
God’s Spirit for directing my path into PE
Andy Catley for initiation into PE
CVM US for the PE training
Andy Catley, Jeff Mariner et al for their publications
Dept. of VPHPM, University of Ibadan for the platform
My postgraduate PE students
UI for the Senate Research Grants
CDC/AFENET/NFELTP for extra- university lecture platforms
ILRI/PENAPH for the invitation to PENAPH Thailand
2012
Dr S.A. Anzaku for presenting on my behalf
This distinguished audience for the attention
30