Local disease risk management practices and barriers to vaccination against peste des petits ruminants among smallholder sheep and goat farmers in northern Nigeria.

Background and objectives: Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) remains a major constraint to small ruminant production in Nigeria, threatening rural livelihood and food security, despite the existence of a national control program. Empirical evidence on farmers' management practices and reasons for low vaccination uptake remains limited. This study aims to explore local management practices, perceptions, and barriers to vaccination among smallholder farmers in Bauchi, Kano and Plateau states. Method: A socioeconomic study was conducted in 52 villages across the three states, with a total of 104 gender-disaggregated focus group discussions using participatory approaches to elicit participants' perception of SR farming and management practices of disease outbreak matching the clinical and epidemiological features of PPR. Qualitative data were thematically analysed to identify dominant disease management strategies and perceived vaccination barriers. Spatial comparison of management profiles across study locations was undertaken to assess clustering patterns and contextual variation. Results: Small ruminants were mostly valued for their contribution to households' essential expenditures and religious celebrations and diseases were considered the highest threat to these contributions. Four distinct disease management profiles emerged, determined by the use of disease prevention practices and by responses to disease outbreaks with medical treatments or depopulation. Management profiles exhibited spatial clustering across the three states. Ten major obstacles to vaccination were identified, including limited awareness, poor vaccine access, preference for curative care, reliance on indigenous remedies. Contributions: The findings underscore the need for community-driven vaccination campaigns that consider local knowledge and practices, improve vaccine accessibility, and integrate trusted local health service providers into government-led PPR control programs.