27 Oct 2012

CAMEROON / LIVESTOCK

Livestock are the lifeblood of African society, providing financial and food security for around 300 million people, but an estimated 25 per cent of animals die annually from preventable diseases. In countries like Cameroon, nuclear and nuclear-related technologies are helping to protect vulnerable communities from outbreaks of disease. IAEA

Posted at: October 27, 2012 12:20 am

Duration: 06:16

Available in: SD, HD

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Full script

STORY: CAMEROON / LIVESTOCK
TRT: 6.16 
SOURCE: IAEA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / MASSA / FOULANI / NATS

DATELINE: MARCH 2012, GAROUA / PITOA / VELE / ZIBOU / KAREWA / RHUMSIKI, CAMEROON

SHOTLIST:

1.	Wide shot, village 
2.	Wide shot, cow herd 
3.	Med shot, cow herd 
4.	Wide shot, man with cows 
5.	Various shots, cattle market 
6.	Close up, cow 
7.	Med shot, man pulling cows  
8.	Med shot, cows and men 
9.	Med shot, men with goats 
10.	Close up, chicken 
11.	Med shot, chickens loaded onto motorbike 
12.	Zoom out, people eating 
13.	Tilt up, boy selling eggs 
14.	Pan right, market 
15.	Close up, man holding money 
16.	Med shot, money being exchanged 
17.	Med shot, men sitting, money being exchanged 
18.	Wide shot, village  
19.	SOUND BITE (Massa) Galgava Oumarou, Goat Farmer: 
"Goats are my main source of revenue, to take care of all my financial needs. Now disease has killed almost all of them. Poverty has stepped into my house and I don't know how I will feed my family."
20.	Close up, goat being examined
21.	Close up, Dr. Abel Wade
22.	Close up, blood being taken from goat 
23.	Wide shot, Dr. Wade walking towards cows 
24.	Med shot, cows walking 
25.	Close up, cow being examined 
26.	Close up, swab in cow's mouth 
27.	Close up, sampling 
28.	Zoom out, cows  
29.	Med shot, cows
30.	Med shot, cows with boy
31.	SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abel Wade, Chief Veterinarian LANAVET:
"Yes, there are a lot of mortalities, a lot of losses. You see some people crying because they lose a lot of animals. You see, with FMD [foot and mouth disease], I know people who lost a lot, more than 100 I am telling you; more than 70 percent of the herd."
32.	Zoom in, LANAVET HQ
33.	Zoom in, lab tests 
34.	Close up, lab tests 
35.	Close up, face of lab technician 
36.	Med shot, lab tests 
37.	Med shot, vet packs LAMP PCR device 
38.	Close up, opening the IAEA bag 
39.	Pan right, LANAVET car in northern Cameroon 
40.	Pan right, Dr. Wade 
41.	Wide shot, cows 
42.	Med shot, Dr. Wade and farmer at site of FMD outbreak 
43.	Close up, cow's mouth
44.	Close up, Dr. Abel Wade 
45.	Close up, cow's tongue
46.	Close up, farmer Amadou Ama
47.	Med shot, cow being held down 
48.	Close up, infected cow 
49.	Wide shot, cows 
50.	SOUNDBITE (Foulani) Amadou Ama Adama, Farmer:
"The vets come to my farm they took samples from the mouth and feet of sick animals for analysis at the laboratory they gave me some advice on how to avoid the further spread of the disease and gave me drugs to help heal the wounds."
51.	Wide shot, farmer Amadou Ama walking among cows 
52.	Med shot, farmer Amadou Ama
53.	Wide shot, LANAVET car
54.	Wide shot, LANAVET car in the bush 
55.	Pan right, LANAVET vets at scene of PPR outbreak
56.	Wide shot, vets and villagers 
57.	Close up, portable laboratory removed from bag and placed on table 
58.	Close up, laptop opened
59.	Med shot, Dr. Abel Wade setting up LAMP PCR system
60.	Med shot, villagers looking on 
61.	Close up, preparing for the LAMP PCR sample collection
62.	Close up, preparing for the LAMP PCR tests 
63.	Med shot, Dr. Abel Wade preparing for the LAMP PCR 
64.	Med shot, Dr. Abel Wade preparing for the LAMP PCR
65.	Close up, LAMP PCR machine running 
66.	SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abel Wade, Chief Veterinarian LANAVET:
"You see, before what I used to do was to come, collect some samples, take them back to the lab, and find time to run them before I could get a result. But after that with LAMP PCR, once on the field I can run the test easily in the bush, in the farm, and get the result in less than an hour."
67.	Wide shot, farmer milking 
68.	Close up, farmer and daughter milking 
69.	Close up, milk seller 
70.	Wide shot, milk sellers 
71.	Wide shot, market 
72.	Pan right, little girl and cows 
73.	Med shot, farmer talking to LANAVET scientist
74.	Close up, bowl of milk 
75.	Med shot, tests on milk at LANAVET 
76.	Close up, scientist's face 
77.	Close up, sampling 
78.	Close up, face 
79.	Close up, starting the machine 
80.	Close up, readings on PC screen 
81.	Various shots, village 
82.	Wide shot, woman cooking 
83.	Med shot, inside a hut 
84.	Wide shot, village scene 
85.	Close up, woman getting water from a well 
86.	Med shot, villagers at well 
87.	Med shot, town
88.	Med shot, shop 
89.	Wide shot, dried up river 
90.	Wide shot, child cleaning pots 
91.	Wide shot, cows 
92.	Zoom out, children laughing and waving 
93.	Wide shot, cows

STORYLINE:

Livestock are the lifeblood of African society, providing financial and food security for around 300 million people.

Cameroon in West Africa is no exception. Animals are raised throughout the country and the livelihoods of over one third of the population depend on livestock. Cattle, sheep, goats and chickens are a major source of food and income.

Animals serve as a bank for savings. If a family needs cash for medical or school fees or marriage animals are sold at market.

All this can be shattered by disease and fatal animal illnesses like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Newcastle Disease (ND) and African Swine Fever (ASF) that are endemic here, like in most African countries. They increase poverty, hinder development and threaten food security.

Galgava Oumarou is one of many farmers who are having their livelihoods threatened by animal sickness. In his case, it is Peste des Petites Ruminants (PPR) a highly contagious disease that kills goats and sheep in large numbers.

SOUND BITE (Massa) Galgava Oumarou, Goat Farmer: 
"Goats are my main source of revenue, to take care of all my financial needs. Now disease has killed almost all of them. Poverty has stepped into my house and I don't know how I will feed my family."

The country's National Veterinary Laboratory, (LANAVET) is the body responsible for the diagnosis and control of animal disease in Cameroon. From its base in Garoua, LANAVET monitors and responds to cases of animal disease all over the country.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Joint Division with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has supported the lab for over 25 years. It provides training, equipment and diagnostic tools that were developed using nuclear techniques.

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abel Wade, Chief Veterinarian LANAVET:
"Yes, there are a lot of mortalities, a lot of losses. You see some people crying because they lose a lot of animals. You see, with FMD, I know people who lost a lot, more than 100 I am telling you; more than 70 percent of the herd."

After receiving news of a suspected outbreak, the LANAVET team travels to the affected areas. Animal diseases spread quickly and can cross borders. Therefore, it is vital for vets to diagnose a disease at an early stage to control and contain an outbreak.

LANAVET managed to advise Amadou Ama Adama how to limit the damage to his animals after an outbreak of FMD. Amadou was lucky. His farm is based close to the LANAVET labs so a quick and early diagnosis of the disease was possible.

SOUNDBITE (Foulani) Amadou Ama Adama, Farmer:
"The vets come to my farm they took samples from the mouth and feet of sick animals for analysis at the laboratory they gave me some advice on how to avoid the further spread of the disease and gave me drugs to help heal the wounds."

But the majority of Cameroon's farmers live further afield in villages that are difficult to reach, like Vele on the Chad border. In these remote places, a new device, provided by the IAEA, that uses a technique known as LAMP PCR, is making a huge difference.

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Abel Wade, Chief Veterinarian LANAVET:
"You see, before what I used to do was to come, collect some samples, take them back to the lab, and find time to run them before I could get a result. But after that with LAMP PCR, once on the field I can run the test easily in the bush, in the farm, and get the result in less than an hour."

Scientists have been able to condense four years of research using isotope technology and nuclear-related techniques into a small portable kit – that can be powered via a car battery.

Alongside meat, milk is of vital importance to the income and diet of the majority of the population in Cameroon. The women in particular earn money for their families from selling milk.

But milk can contain the bacterial infection, brucellosis. This common disease causes miscarriages in cows, sheep and goats and can be transmitted to humans, leading to chronic and painful disease.

LANAVET is testing milk and blood samples to advise farmers how to control the disease. They are using diagnostic tests that the IAEA developed.

La Petit Afrique – or Africa in miniature – this is Cameroon, offering all the beauty, diversity and vibrancy of the continent in one. But Cameroon also shares Africa's problems.  With the population rising and the ever present risk of drought and famine, Cameroon needs to protect its livestock as a precious commodity for its future generations.