Abstract

Background: Cattle farming systems in the Ishungu grouping face growing challenges in maintaining productivity and resilience amidst complex socio-technical and epidemiological constraints. The study assessed the vulnerability of these systems using an integrated approach combining field surveys, observations, and focus group discussions. We analyzed the collected data with SPSS v.30, the descriptive statistics and logistic regression model were performed to identify key vulnerability factors. The key findings show that significantly undermine resilience, while socio-demographic factors such as low education, livelihood diversification, and inadequate infrastructure further exacerbate vulnerability. The logit model revealed that access to veterinary care and improved technical practices increased the likelihood of herd resilience, highlighting the value of targeted animal health interventions. Unexpectedly, higher productivity was also associated with higher vulnerability, suggesting that poorly managed intensification increases disease risks. These results point out the need for a holistic strategy that combines technical capacity building, improved veterinary facilities, and disease surveillance, while accounting for the socio-economic realities of rural farmers. Strengthening institutional support and promoting community-based animal health worker models may help bridge gaps in veterinary service provision and enhance system sustainability. In view of our results, future research should investigate long-term trends in disease dynamics under climate variability and evaluate the performance of alternative to common veterinary interventions that strengthen herd health, draw closer to farmers like mobile clinic, community community animal health workers, and capacity building for adaptive capacity in fragile rural environments like Ishungu.

Key words: Vulnerability, Livestock, Farming systems, Animal Health, South Kivu