title: Potential use of mobile phones in improving animal health service delivery in underserved rural areas: experience from Kilosa and Gairo districts in Tanzania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sub-optimal performance of the animal health delivery system in rural areas is common in developing countries including Tanzania. However, penetration of mobile phones and availability of good road network and public transport systems offer opportunities for improving the access of rural communities to diagnostic and advisory services from facilities and expertise located in urban areas. A questionnaire survey on possession and use of mobile phones by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Kilosa and Gairo districts was carried out between November and December 2015. A total number of 138 livestock keepers from three villages of Chakwale (54), Mvumi (41) and Parakuyo (43) participated in the study. An e-based system was designed and tested to link rural communities with urban diagnostic facilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was observed that the average number of phones possessed by individuals interviewed and household families was 1.1 ± 0.26 (1-2) and 3.5 ± 2.23 (1-10), respectively. It was further observed that out of 138 livestock keepers interviewed, 133 (96.4 %) had feature phones while 10 (7.2 %) of them possessed smartphones. Mobile phone is currently used to support livestock production by communicating on animal health in Parakuyo (18, 41.9 %), Mvumi (18, 43.9 %) and Chakwale (14, 25.9 %). Other contributions of mobile phones in livestock and crop agriculture observed in the study area include: exchange of livestock price information, crop price information, communicating on plant health/diseases, livestock extension and advisory services as well as crop farming extension and advisory services. We also designed and tested an e-based SUAVetDiag® system to support timely diagnosis of infectious disease conditions and prompt advice on case management in veterinary underserved areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Availability of mobile phones in rural areas, in combination with supporting infrastructure and facilities in urban areas, has potential to stimulate local development and improving delivery of animal health and extension services. It is recommended that more development and refinement of the system should be conducted to ensure that this potential is tapped to revolutionalise delivery of animal health services in rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania. ekarimu@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Esron D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Karimuribo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Theriogenology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Emmanuel K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Batamuzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Lucas B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Massawe
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Silayo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Theriogenology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Frederick O K
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Mgongo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Elikira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kimbita
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Raphael M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Wambura
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D040421:Cell Phone; D003625:Data Collection; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania; D018634:Veterinarians; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Animal health delivery; E-based diagnostic system; Linking rural and urban areas; Tanzania