About 340,000 livestock from over 1,800 households have so far been jabbed during the ongoing vaccination campaign in Turkana county.
Teams of county veterinary officers are conducting a simultaneous vaccination and supportive treatment for livestock across the Turkana East, South, and Central Sub-Counties belts.
Under the joint supervision of the Directorate of Veterinary Services and Concern Worldwide, the exercise will run for 21 days.
Through this vaccination, the department aims to reduce the spread of livestock diseases, especially transboundary ones, given the migrating patterns of the pastoralists.
In addition to the vaccination, the team is also collecting blood samples for analysis at the county laboratory. This will go a long way in averting the risks posed by livestock diseases through early detection for the prevention and preparation of outbreaks.
This mass vaccination and supportive treatment approach is meant to protect livestock, which is central to the livelihoods of pastoralists and the realisation of food security in the county.
In May, the County Veterinary Services stepped up vaccination and support treatment exercises for livestock following reports of a surge in livestock diseases in Turkana North and Kibish Sub-Counties.
According to the County Chief Officer for Livestock Development, Dr. Ezekiel Etelej, the surge was reported by technical teams and Community Disease Reporters (CDRs) after conducting routine animal surveys and collecting reports from local livestock keepers, prompting the intervention.
“The region has experienced a rise in cases of lumpy skin disease in cattle, as well as sheep and goat pox and contagious bovine and caprine pleuropneumonia, thus necessitating this intervention,” said Dr. Etelej.
By Peter Gitonga
