Gabriel Jabile
Ugandan smallholder livestock farmers lose millions annually due to preventable animal diseases, yet remain underserved by existing veterinary systems. This research applies a systems thinking lens to investigate the structural, social, and governance barriers underlying this persistent development challenge. Through over 30 qualitative interviews with farmers, veterinarians, policymakers, NGOs, and agri-tech innovators—supplemented by field visits and literature review—I mapped three interlinked subsystems: clinical care, outbreak response, and governance. The findings reveal how farmer mistrust, exclusion of Indigenous knowledge, and systemic fragmentation reinforce weak service delivery. I propose multi-scalar levers for change, including paravet referral models, grassroots co-creation, and integration of Indigenous animal health practices. A case study of Enyana Health, a mobile triaging system co-developed with farmers during the Engineers Without Borders Canada Fellowship, illustrates how private sector innovation can operationalize these levers. This work contributes to design justice and participatory development by centring marginalized actors in reimagining health systems.
KEYWORDS: student systems mapping, livestock agricultural support systems, governance & policy systems
This project is presented with the RSD14 talk, Map the System at UWaterloo and Beyond.
