Mandera county veterinary department has started a 10-day vaccination exercise following the outbreak of the Rift Valley Fever (RVF).
The exercise will be carried out in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council under Boresha Consortium.
Building Opportunities for Resilience in the Horn of Africa (BORESHA) is a European Union Programme aimed at promoting economic development and greater resilience, particularly among vulnerable groups in Mandera.
Speaking on Wednesday while launching the programme, county director of veterinary services Ali Noor said the exercise will be carried out in the sub-counties of Mandera South, Lafey and Mandera West.
“Animal health service delivery is a key component in the livestock sector which is our economy's backbone and contributes to the local economy. We will do everything possible to make sure that our farmers do not incur losses‚” Noor said.
The programme is targeting 300,000 goats, sheep, cattle and camels as part of mitigation measures against the spread of disease to non-affected herds.
RVF is a zoonotic disease that is contagious and spreads very fast. It kills animals very quickly and affects humans too.
Its control involves vaccination, livestock movement control, vector control and public education.
Noor said that, in animals, it can lead to a high rate of abortion and death especially in sheep and camel impacting the livelihoods of the pastoralists who make up more than 85 per cent of the county’s population.
He emphasised the need for staff to be in protective gear during the exercise and to maintain a high level of caution when handling sick animals.
Danish Refugee Council Livelihood Manager Ali Issack urged residents to vaccinate their animals in large numbers.
He said vaccination teams have been dispatched to the sub-counties to curb further loss of animals.
Last week, Governor Ali Roba urged pastoralists to take advantage of the exercise and avail their animals for treatment which he said would go a long way in building immunity of livestock and increasing productivity and income.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
