Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State yesterday flagged off the federal government 2022 nationwide free mass vaccination against Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs).
The vaccination exercise was launched at the Dadin-Kowa community of Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, for the North East sub-region.
The governor said the exercise demonstrated the government’s commitment to boost animal health and prevent setbacks in livestock management.
He warned that TADs have a high mortality rate and are contagious as they can cause negative socio-economic and public health consequences.
He appealed to the pastoralists and other stakeholders to give the necessary cooperation to veterinary personnel that would conduct the exercise so as to ensure success.
Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar, said the launch of the vaccination exercise was to ensure an improved livestock sub-sector.
Represented by the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Maimuna Habib, he said the vaccination was against TADs such as Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Newcastle Disease (NCD).
He said the federal government had provided over 2,000,000 doses of the vaccines to support the six states in the North East Zone.
The minister added that vaccination was vital in view of the fact that livestock production was a major means of livelihood in Nigeria, employing about 70 per cent of the country’s population.
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