Impact of Vaccination against Chicken Newcastle Disease on Food Intake and Food Security in Rural Households in Tanzania

BackgroundSmall-scale poultry production has the potential to increase animal-source food consumption, improve household income, and reduce food insecurity.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of a chicken Newcastle disease vaccination program on consumption of chicken and eggs among women and children, income, and food insecurity in rural Tanzanian households.MethodsComparisons were made between house-holds from three project villages, which participated in a Newcastle disease vaccination program for chickens, and three control villages, which did not participate. Household interviews were done with mothers from a random sample in March 2008 (237 households) and March 2009 (261 households).ResultsAfter the first year of vaccinations (three rounds), project households kept significantly more chickens and tended to be more food secure than control households. Mothers from project households ate significantly more eggs than their counterparts in control households. A similar trend was observed among children. In 2...