Kotido district has received 150,000 doses of vaccines for Foot and Mouth Disease. Joseph Longole, the district's veterinary officer says that the vaccines will be administered to cows, goats,
sheep, and pigs next month.
He says in the other years, they used to target only Cattle
due to the limited number of doses but
Foot and mouth disease is a major concern for livestock
farmers in Karamoja, causing significant economic losses and social
consequences.
Longole says effective control measures, including
vaccination, are essential to prevent the spread of the disease. He urged the farmers to embrace the exercise and demystified beliefs that vaccination of animals causes abortion amongst expectant animals.
He says the vaccines are free and will be administered at
cattle sheds across the district.
Longole urged farmers who had migrated to the
neighbouring district in search of water and pasture for their animals to return their animals from neighbouring districts to participate in the
vaccination exercise.
The initiative according to Dr. Longole is part of the
ministry's efforts to control trans-border diseases, highlighting the importance
of cooperation and coordination in preventing the spread of diseases. //Cue in: “In our
store...
Cue out: "...animals
also come from far.”
Additionally, Dr Longole advises farmers to deworm their
animals and spray them to prevent tick-borne diseases.
Dr Longole says by taking such proactive measures, Kotido
district will reduce the spread of foot and mouth disease, ultimately
protecting the health and livelihoods of its farmers and communities.
Kilenga Bondry
Freelancer