Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Several of these features have become evident from studies over the last decade in
Uganda and elsewhere in eastern and Central Africa, yet many uncertainties remain.
This is hardly surprising, because, although considerable, the research effort it has
been possible to mount has been inadequate in relation to the magnitude and
complexity of the problem. Such a damaging pandemic occurring in Europe or
North America would undoubtedly have led to a far greater allocation of funds and
resources and to the deployment of teams of researchers supported by extensionists
and adequate funding. This is simply not possible in Uganda or elsewhere in sub-
Saharan Africa, although considerable assistance has been provided by International
Agricultural Research Centres and advanced laboratories in Europe and North
America. There has also been substantial financial support from charitable
organizations and other donors. Nevertheless, it is quite likely that in some African
countries an epidemic of the type that occurred in Uganda would be completely
overlooked or considered simply as an unaccountable crop failure. These
considerations explain why CMD and many other diseases continue to cause serious
losses, food insecurity and hardship in Africa and why information on the
epidemiology and control of these diseases lags far behind that available on
comparable diseases in developed countries.
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