Wajir(Mogadishu24)-Wajir County government launched a livestock vaccination program on Thursday in preparation for the anticipated El Niño rains.

In collaboration with the Frontier Counties Development Cooperation (FCDC), this program is part of a series of preparedness activities carried out in the Rift Valley Fever (RVF) hotspot regions within the county, with an aim of safeguarding livestock animals against Rift Valley Fever and other preventable diseases.

Mr. Farah Saman, the County Executive Committee Member for Agricultural, Livestock, and Veterinary Services, stated that the county has taken crucial steps to identify the areas most affected by diseases.

“We are here to launch emergency preparedness and prevention measures against Rift Valley Fever and other diseases that may impact our livestock. In preparation, our department has conducted surveillance missions to identify areas most susceptible to infection. Our dedicated team, comprising animal health practitioners and a surveillance team, is targeting these hotspot regions,” stated Mr. Farah Saman, the County Executive Member for Agricultural, Livestock, and Veterinary Services

The CECM mentioned the progress made by the county government in the first phase of the vaccination, with 10,097 goats, 10,461 sheep, 942 cattle, and 794 camels vaccinated against Rift Valley Fever. An additional 10,000 goats have been safeguarded against Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP). In total, 32,330 animals have been vaccinated, dewormed, and provided clinical treatment.

He stated that there is an ongoing capacity-building program for frontline animal health service providers to enhance RVF syndromic surveillance, as well as creating awareness campaigns on the diseases through community meetings and gatherings.

The county government has deployed six veterinary teams to ensure the successful vaccination and treatment of at least 400,000 animals across all six sub-counties.

“We have dispatched six veterinary teams to hotspot regions mapped across the six sub-counties. Our target for this program is to vaccinate and treat a minimum of 400,000 livestock animals,” added the county CECM.

The Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services further procured 1500kg of native global grass seedlings from the Wajir County Farmers Association, which have been distributed to local farmers.

Mr. Farah Saman urged pastoralists to bring their animals for vaccination, emphasizing the importance of this program within and beyond the county.

“We urge our residents to present their livestock animals for vaccination and treatment to protect them from these diseases. Prevention is always better than cure,” he added.

This vaccination program is set to continue for 19 days, with the county providing five days of vaccination support, complemented by FCDC’s 14-day support, including deworming and other essential treatments.

The vaccination program is being implemented in anticipation of the forecasted El Niño rains during the upcoming rainy seasons. Frontier Counties are expected to be the most affected, and these counties have allocated emergency funds to address the challenges posed by potential El Niño-related flooding.