Facilitators and barriers to community-based livestock abortion reporting for Rift Valley Fever surveillance in Uganda: A COM-B analysis

Rift Valley Fever Disease (RVFD) causes substantial economic losses via livestock abortion storms, yet community-based abortion reporting for early warning remains suboptimal in endemic settings. This study analysed the behavioural determinants of livestock abortion reporting to inform RVF surveillance interventions in Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional study using qualitative data collection methods in Isingiro District, Uganda, employing the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behaviour (COM-B) framework. We conducted 29 key informant interviews with national/district policymakers and technical officers and 17 focus group discussions involving livestock owners, abattoir operators, and local leaders. Transcripts underwent deductive thematic analysis using NVivo-12, with independent coding verification and member checking. Barriers and facilitators were ranked by frequency and thematic emphasis, and a comparative analysis was conducted across participant groups. The most frequently cited barrier was poor community knowledge about RVF, while the most powerful demotivator was the absence of post-reporting feedback. Key facilitators included mobile phone platforms, community governance structures, and fear of economic and cultural loss. Our study recommends that sustainable abortion reporting requires simultaneous intervention across capability, opportunity, and motivation domains. Priority interventions could include: integrating reporting into Uganda’s electronic surveillance platforms, co-developing local RVF names with communities, establishing reliable feedback mechanisms, addressing veterinary staffing gaps in remote areas, and implementing no-blame reporting protocols. Effective RVF surveillance depends on reinforcing existing community structures while ensuring responsive feedback that validates reporters’ contributions.