Abstract
Livestock continue to play a significant role as a source of wealth, protein nutrition and income to the poor households in Uganda. Although the benefits are obvious, a number of health problems are associated with livestock and livestock products that may affect the poor both as producers and consumers. The poor are vulnerable and are exposed, in many cases unknowingly, to diseases of economic and public health importance such as trypanosomosis, tuberculosis, rabies among others. A major pitfall is that Veterinary Public Health (VPH) activities have not been fully integrated in the main stream of public health services in Uganda and many other countries in the world. This paper provides an insight in the rightful role that veterinary public health must be seen to play in the overall public health framework with respect to the poor in Uganda.
