By RHODA SIKOMBE
OVER 1,500 calves are earmarked to be vaccinated against East Coast Fever (ECF) in Vubwi district of Eastern Province.
District Veterinary Officer Gerald Cowham disclosed that calves aged between three and 18months will be vaccinated at a cost of K50 each.
Dr Cowham was optimistic that the vaccination exercise was likely to commence by month-end May, 2023.
Speaking during the District Agriculture and Commercial Show Stakeholders review and planning meeting, Dr Cowham said the district is awaiting ECF vaccines from Lusaka to commence the ECF vaccination programme.
He explained that the vaccination programme is conducted to improve the animal health of calves whilst at a tender age.
“This vaccination programme is undertaken at the peak period of the parasitic infestation during the dry season. This is because calves born during the rainy season are highly affected resulting in high mortality rate if not well managed,” Dr Cowham said.
He further revealed that the immunisation of Livestock with high quality vaccines is considered an essential approach to controlling many animal diseases for increased economic and food security benefits.
Dr Cowham appealed to the public to plan to have their animals vaccinated once the exercise commences, and also extend the invitation to other livestock farmers in the communities.This will ensure their calves are vaccinated and avoid the dangers of having unvaccinated herd of cattle.
“Calves get effected once bitten by parasites if not vaccinated resulting in ECF outbreak and later on depriving the animals of good health,” he said.
Dr Cowham challenged livestock farmers present during the meeting to take the ECF vaccination programmes seriously because it is cheaper to vaccinate an animal than treating it when it is sick.
“It costs about K150 to vaccinate a health calf, whilst when an animal is sick its expensive as it costs about K700.00 to treatment,”he said.
Speaking at the same event, the District Fisheries and Livestock David Mweemba said the Government has categorised livestock diseases management into two; scheduled and non-scheduled.
Dr Mweemba referred ECF vaccination as a scheduled diseases programme where livestock farmers are expected to respond positively whereas, the Government partial responsibility is to make available subsidized vaccines for all clients seasonally.
He encouraged all livestock farmers to respond positively towards conventional programmes.
“ECF is a manageable disease because Livestock farmers have a role to play in disease management by taking precaution such as dipping,” Dr Mweemba said.
Dr Mweemba also revealed that ECF vaccines were manufactured centrally in Lusaka, hence the need to take advantage to access them once in a vicinity at a cheaper price
Government is aware that ECF was a manageable diseases but it becomes difficult to control it when precautions are not adhered at the early stage of an animal after all one vaccination is sufficient in the life time of an animal. The service is mostly demand driven and equivalent to resource allocation. – NAIS.
