Yobe State, World Bank Partner to Vaccinate 8.7 Million Livestock Against Anthrax
By Tada Jutha, Damaturu
The Yobe State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR), in partnership with the L-Press World Bank project, is to vaccinate 8.7 million livestock against anthrax.
Unveiling the door-to-door anthrax vaccination campaign on Tuesday, the MANR Permanent Secretary, Dr. Musa Kolere, said, “The purpose of the vaccination campaign was to strengthen and implement measures against anthrax and other zoonotic diseases across the state, including border communities with Niger.
He noted the massive vaccination of livestock by the stakeholders at a Fadama Conference in Damaturu, the state capital.
According to him, Governor Mai Mala Buni has donated over N1.5 million anthrax vaccines to the livestock department of the Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, he said that the governor’s proactive action was in response to the reported outbreaks of anthrax in several African countries, including Burkina Faso and Ghana. R. Kolere, represented by the Director of Veterinary, Dr. Ibrahim Goni AssuGoni, was one of the participants of the Ministry’s commitment to ensure a seamless and frequent harg-of-thrax vaccination exercise.
He said the vaccination of the livestock is to be conducted in the 17 local government areas surrounding the border communities with Niger.
He, therefore, charged the vaccinators to create anthrax-free zones, as support had been rendered by the World Bank livestock production system in the state.
Besides donating the anthrax-free vaccines, he said the state has state veterinary doctors, while over 100 are undergoing their studies in veterinary sciences sponsored by the Buni administration.
The Director of Health, Dr. Hauwa Goni, also highlighted the preventative measures of contraforating zoonotic diseases.
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