A joint ILRAD/FAO meeting entitled 'Immunization against Theileriosis in Africa' was held at the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD) in October 1984. Attention was given to methods of immunizing cattle against East Coast fever (ECF), and to identifying the needs of the various countries affected by the disease (Irvin, A.D., Editor, 1985, Immunization against Theileriosis in Africa. Nairobi, ILRAD, pp. 1-167). A specific recommendation was made in the Proceedings of that Meeting that 'immunization against ECF using infection and treatment should be implemented in the immediate future'. A number of countries now use such a procedure and it is anticipated that it will soon be adopted more widely. However, in order to gain a true picture of the impact and value of immunization under different farming situations, the 1984 meeting identified further needs:
(1) standardization of procedures, in terms of immunization strategies, data recording and follow-up,(2) establishment of a database for recording and analysis of results.
The current Meeting was called therefore to look at these needs more closely, to assess the information from trials undertaken or completed since the last meeting, and to formulate and develop appropriate methods for the collection, processing, analysis and utilization of productivity data of immunized cattle.
By emphasising the importance of data collection and management it was hoped to assist the participants and their governments (or aid agencies) in interpreting the results of immunization trials, in providing a more objective assessment of the productivity of immunized cattle and in determining the potential economic benefits of immunization.
The meeting was divided into three main sessions. In the first session reports and results from field trials were presented; in all cases emphasis was placed on approaches to immunization and data collection and analysis rather than on specific results (see Summary of Field Reports). The second session considered in more detail design of immunization trials and programmes, and the ways different computer programmes could be used for handling, storing and processing data. At the same time, participants were given the opportunity of working with computers and handling data sets (see Appendix I). In the final session, the various aspects of performance and productivity recording and evaluation were examined, and recommendations were presented to guide those involved in ECF immunization on the best ways to design and conduct immunization programmes so that maximum information can be acquired and maximum benefits obtained.
