Drought hinders disease control vaccination

Many of us take rain for granted, but in Africa it’s a different story. Many months without rain in Kenya and Tanzania have displaced thousands of people and their animals.

The drought has made everyday living demanding. Efforts to control livestock diseases are proving difficult due to abnormal livestock migrations and crowding at water points. Pastoralists are losing livestock to diseases that can easily be prevented.

For many, this means a huge drop in income. With less money to spend on food, and, on top of this much of the available water is unfit to drink, many communities now live in hunger or fear of starvation.

The livestock disease ‘Peste des Petits Ruminants’ (PPR) affects small ruminants, primarily sheep and goats, and is threatening the livelihoods of communities dependent on livestock.

Local veterinary officers are struggling to respond and vaccinate animals before the disease spreads further, so VETAID is working closely with over 40,000 households in affected and high-risk areas.

VETAID is vaccinating against PPR and other diseases common to small ruminants. By vaccinating animals before an outbreak, mortality is reduced by around 50%.

Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) are being trained to recognise, diagnose and treat these diseases to help prevent any future outbreaks.

A buffer zone has been created to prevent further spread of the disease and a weekly radio programme will be aired on disease control in the local community, encouraging community participation to spot fresh outbreaks.

This campaign helps to ensure that communities have the knowledge and skills to monitor and deal with disease outbreaks in the future.