Polycarp Sola-Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Government in Collaboration with the Federal ministry of Agriculture has commenced vaccination of animals in the rural areas.
The exercise which kicked off at Unagboke health center in Azugwu, Abakaliki, is part of the Federal Government’s initiative to improve the productivity of livestock as well as ensure the well-being of consumers in the Country.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and natural resources, Professor Humphrey Nwoabasi, while flagging the campaign said the essence was to achieve a healthy society for both humans and animals.
“For us to achieve a healthy society, the human beings and animals must be healthy.
“I want to charge that this program be effectively done to ensure that a reasonable number of our animals are vaccinated”. he said.
The Commissioner emphasized on the need for active collaborations between human and animal doctors to curb the spread of diseases in the society.
He pledged to continue with the existing partnership with the veterinary service in the State as well as called for the inclusion of council chairmen and traditional rulers to ensure that the exercise reaches nooks and crannies of the State.
Dr Empraim Nwanga, Director of vetrinary service in the State explained that the program was designed to enhance the productivity and health of the animals towards promoting human health.
He said it became necessary due to the relationship between human beings and animals as the former, uses the latter for either security or food.
“There are some diseases that can kill livestock but may not affect human beings, but losses may lead to depression, of owners of those animals”.
Nwanga pointed out that the Federal Government’s intention for the vaccination was to fight against Trans boundary Animal diseases.
“These diseases are mostly imported from other countries by headers who come in, and some may go from Nigeria to other countries and that has caused alot of havoc.
“If they are protected from these diseases that causes alot of economic devastation, they would be an employment opportunities and a source of animal protein because it is required that a man should take certain grams of crop protein and animal protein daily,
“We found out that, it is very difficult for families now to have access to meat, due to outbreak of disease of transboundary concern, such as the ivian influenza in poultry, African swine guinea pine in pig, and in cattle,
“Today we have rabies, a dog disease that can affect human beings, there is monkey pox, covid and Ebola, and all these diseases are found in animals”. he said.
The Director further highlighted that the vaccination exercise would be an annual event to improve the livestock business and create more job opportunities for Nigerians.
The chairman, pig farmers association in Ebonyi State, Mr Micheal Udenwa, said the importance of the exercise can not be overemphasized as it’s vital to human beings as consumers of protein from the animals.
He equally commended the Federal Government as well as the State ministry of Agriculture and the department of vetrinary service for carrying out the exercise.