Nationwide ND Vaccination Campaign Starts

GAMBIA - A nationwide vaccination campaign for poultry against Newcastle disease (ND) is now underway.

27 October 2011

3 minute read

Africa

A nationwide vaccination campaign on small ruminants and poultry, dubbed 'Vaccines for Control of Neglected Animal Disease in Africa' (VACNADA), began off early this month, reports The Observer of Gambia.

Speaking in an interview with the newspaper at the Department of Veterinary Services in Abuko, Dr Kebba Daffeh, project coordinator of VACNADA, who also doubles as the chief veterinary officer disclosed that the first round of the campaign was conducted from January to March, 2011 with a total number of 180,000 sheep and goats vaccinated against Peste des petits ruminants ( PPR).

He noted that the PPR is the major infectious disease in small ruminants in The Gambia, with the disease accounting for most of the morbidity and mortality rate in sheep and goats. Dr Daffeh explained that the disease is characterised by diarrhoea, nasal discharge and ocular discharge, adding that the PPR is caused by a virus.

He said the second round of the campaign started early this month and will end by November. He added that they intend to vaccinate about 200,000 small ruminants and the ones that were not vaccinated during the first round.

Dr Daffeh said the vaccination is free, and called on livestock farmers to bring out their ruminants to be vaccinated during the course of the exercise.

He added that the second round of the campaign is not only limited to PPR but also includes vaccination against pasteurellosis, which is also a major infectious disease in sheep and goats in The Gambia. He added that they would also be vaccinating poultry and chicken against ND.

He disclosed that the ND is a major threat to local poultry production in the country, taking into account, the importance of poultry and small ruminants in the lives and livelihood of most of the vulnerable segments of the population.

According to The Observer, Dr Daffeh further stated that VACNADA aims to reduce poverty and improve income and livelihood through vaccination, noting that the project is funded by the European Union and executed by the African Union Inter- African Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).