Parasites, Patriarchy and Pig Farming: Examining the Socioecological Causes, Consequences and Futures of Taenia solium Infection in Uganda

Pig farming, predominantly the smallholder kind, is presently one of Uganda’s fastest growing sectors within its local agriculture. The rapid increase in demand and production of pork has influenced the potential economic benefits for the local communities involved. However, as this is coupled with persistently poor agriculture, sanitation and hygiene practices and services, it has been unavoidable that zoonotic infections—pathogenic diseases from animals that are transmitted to humans, e.g. the endemic pork tapeworm Taenia solium—have likewise increased. The persistence of such infections is further compounded by the fact that the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and agriculture contexts in these areas are oftentimes very gendered and isolated. Despite this, current understandings, approaches and interventions within these respective sectors still overlook these issues and continue to work in siloed ways—ignoring the ‘spill-overs’ of species-specific situations and diseases.