Ogun Government Begins Free Vaccination for Animals

In order to prevent outbreak of animal transmitted diseases in Ogun State, the state government has began mass vaccination of domestic animals .

Speaking at the official flag - off of the mass vaccination at the Odeda Farm institute in Odeda local council of the State, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Adeola Odedina, said animals were important to the heathy living of  residents of the State hence the need to be proactive with the vaccination.

Odedina who revealed that the State government had received 10,000 doses of vaccines from Federal government, said all animals in the State would be vaccinated.

The Commissioner therefore enjoined residents  of the State to make their domestic animals available for vaccination.

According to the Commissioner, the free mass vaccination will be carried out in all the twenty local governments in Ogun state.

Odedina said the exercise was to vaccinate cattles, sheeps, goats and dogs against transboundary animal diseases (TADs).

TADS are contagious epidemic diseases of livestock that have the potential to spread rapidly across the globe with negative social economic and public health consequences.

He said the programme was in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sponsored by REDISSE.

The commissioner explained that, the Federal government donated 10,921 doses of Antirabies vaccines, 20,000 doses of Newcastle disease, 10,000 doses of Peste des petit Ruminants (PPR) and 10,000 doses of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (vaccines).

Meanwhile, the  Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria Dr Columba Vakuru represented by the state Coordinator, Vertinary Services, Federal Ministry of Agric Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi said  Transboundary animal diseases  caused livelihood for farmers and it's because of that that the federal government in conjunction with regional disease , surveillance system enhancement project came together to support the 36 states in Nigeria with free vaccines against this diseases .

She said "We are here today to flag off the Ogun State version of the campaign against transboudry animal diseases in livestock .

"Nigeria lost about 29bn to this diseases, it's not just the monetary terms , in terms of mortality, in terms of exchange rate value that we're supposed to get if we're exporting this animal or animal products. If Nigeria cannot export the animal and their products, we loose money, so about 29bn was lost to this transboudry animal diseases .

"To curb the losses, this is one of the way out to vaccinate all our animals to improve vaccination, surveillance, to encourage our farmers to seek vetenary attention for their animals . Prevention is better than cure and vaccination is a way to prevent and it's much more cheaper than treatment ."

Stakeholders present; representative of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Chairperson, Odeda local Government, members of the Hunters Association, Divisional Police Officer, Odeda, representatives of the Commissioner of Police, Civil Defense and livestock farmers in Odeda local government.

Others are: The executive Chairperson of Odeda LG and Olu of Odeda and REP of Chief Veterinary officer of the federation and other Stakeholders