Abstract:
The livestock sector is the main driver of Ethiopia's economy. Despite its significance, animal
African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a significant barrier to the production of livestock, which
negatively affects rural communities that rely on livestock for subsistence. The objective of the
study was to investigate the impact of AAT on the smallholder households' livestock income in
Daramalo Woreda, southern Ethiopia. In the study, sample households were selected using a mix
of probability and non-probability sampling techniques, and cross-sectional survey data was
collected from 388 smallholder farmers. The prevalence of AAT and its economic losses were
determined using a mathematical model. A Tobit model was used to identify the determinants of
the severity of AAT. In addition, the impact of AAT on smallholder farmers was assessed using a
binary endogenous switching regression model. The mathematical model's result showed that the
area's overall prevalence of AAT was 18.23%. The findings also revealed the total annual direct
economic loss caused by AAT was estimated to be Ethiopian birr 14.7 million, which includes
mortality, morbidity losses, and veterinary expenses. The two-limit Tobit model results revealed
that distance to market, the cost of technology, and the density of a vector had positively and
significantly affected the severity of AAT, while tropical livestock units, the frequency of
veterinary visits, the effectiveness of technology, and the membership of an agribusiness group
had negatively and significantly affected the severity of AAT in the study area. The binary
endogenous switching regression model results showed that the farm households that were
affected by AAT earned less income (-3911.98 birr) in livestock production compared with their
unaffected counterparts. Therefore, the study recommended that government policies and
programs emphasize an integrated disease control strategy that includes the use of trypanocidal
drugs and various vector control measures in conjunction with the diversification of animal
species to bring about an overall improvement in household income and reduce the risk of
disease
