Assessment of Facilities and Slaughter Practices in Aba Abattoir, Abia State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to assess the physical conditions, and functional status of infrastructure as well as the process of operations of Aba abattoir in Abia State. It was observed that the design of the abattoir is not good enough to pass for a standard abattoir. There is no functional pipe borne water the butcher’s sourced water from nearby streams, the water supply from their state water board hardly gets to the abattoir and this gives room for contamination and cross contamination of the carcass because the butchers often do not use enough quantity of water to wash the carcass. The absence of electricity and portable water supply coupled with the poor status and unhygienic conditions of this abattoir raise serious public health concern, as hygiene problem are not only limited to slaughtering but are also associated with incorrect processing. Ante- mortem inspection is hardly carried out. The method of immobilizing the animals prior to slaughter is crude, as it involves physical struggle to wrestle down the animal and this affects the quality of the meat. The hides and skin are usually burnt with the use of tyres and this causes serious environmental hazards.