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All Journal Media Kedokteran Hewan
Shiek Umaro Kamara
School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
Medicine & Pharmacology Veterinary

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Assessment of Slaughterhouse Facilities and Infection Control Practices in Sierra Leone Lydia Bomwarah Sesay; Unisa Sankoh; Shiek Umaro Kamara; William Tasiame; Abdul Rahman Yakubu; Prince Nana Takyi; Benjamin Obukowho Emikpe
Media Kedokteran Hewan Vol. 37 No. 3 (2026): Media Kedokteran Hewan
Publisher : Universitas Airlangga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.20473/mkh.v37i3.2026.282-300

Abstract

Slaughterhouses play an important role in protecting public health by providing hygienic, safe, and zoonosis-free meat for human consumption. There are limited data on the state of slaughter facilities across Sierra Leone; therefore, there is a need to assess the state of slaughter facilities and infection control practices in the country to ensure meat safety. This cross-sectional study using a census sampling approach was conducted to assess 27 operational slaughter facilities in 10 districts of Sierra Leone between May and June 2025 using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from 27 livestock officers and facility personnel using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. Basic infrastructure, such as animal holding pens (96.3%), stunning rooms (88.9%), evisceration and boning rooms (85.2%), and cold storage (88.9%), was absent in most facilities. Only 3.7% of respondents used personal protective equipment regularly, and hygiene standards were below satisfactory levels. This study highlights key infrastructural deficits and hygienic practices that, in combination, exacerbate the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Strengthening slaughterhouse infrastructure and enforcing veterinary public health legislation in Sierra Leone are necessary to safeguard both animal and human health.
Co-Authors Abdul Rahman Yakubu Benjamin Obukowho Emikpe Lydia Bomwarah Sesay Prince Nana Takyi Unisa Sankoh William Tasiame