A new project responding to Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) launched in Eritrea, with financial support from the Government of Japan

9 July 2024, Asmara - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a new project that aims to curb the spread of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in agropastoral and pastoral communities in Eritrea, towards improving the livelihoods of livestock herders, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture for Eritrea (MoA).

With an overall budget of USD 225 000, the project titled: “Support to the Vulnerable Pastoralists and Agro-pastoralists by Responding to Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) Outbreaks in Gash Barka, Debub, Anseba, and Maekel regions, was financially supported by the Government of Japan. The new program aims to control and curb the spread of LSD in targeted hotspot areas, thereby enhancing the resilience of livestock herders.

Speaking at the project launching workshop held in Asmara on 9 July 2024, Semere Amlesom, Agricultural Extension Department, Director General of MoA, stated, "On this day, we gather with a sense of urgency and purpose, united in our commitment to support agropastoralist and our pastoralist communities who are facing the devastating impacts of the LSD outbreaks in Eritrea. These communities rely heavily on their animals for food, income and cultural identity, and the loss of livestock threatens their way of life. With this backdrop, the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with FAO and the Japanese government, is launching this comprehensive livelihood support program."

His Excellency Shigeru Kondo, Head of Mission of the Embassy of Japan, highlighted that Japan is engaged in supporting food security and resilience programmes including the prevention of such diseases in the Horn of Africa. In his keynote address at the project launch, he noted, “Eritrea-Japan relations are excellent, and Japan would like to contribute together with the Eritrean Government and UN agencies to the further development of Eritrea.”

On his part, Mohamed Aw-Dahir, FAO Eritrea Representative ad-interim, expressed his appreciation to the Government of Japan for being a resilient resource partner of FAO and for funding the LSD project at a critical time for the government and people of Eritrea. “LSD is a very contagious livestock disease, mostly attacking big ruminants, and can inflict a great deal of damage in the livestock sector, reducing the production of milk, meat and hides, and of course the reproduction aspect of animals. This has undoubtedly impacted the economy of the country and the livelihoods of the pastoralists and agropastoralists, who rely on their livestock. The current rainy season creates favourable conditions for the spread of the LSD disease, which is now widespread across the country. It is imperative to garner the attention of resource partners, and we are grateful that the Government of Japan has responded positively,” AwDahir said

The launching workshop was held in the presence of UN agencies, government representatives and key stakeholders who heard the program overview and planned activities. The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Government of Eritrea with support from FAO Eritrea.

Lumpy Skin Disease in Eritrea

Eritrea is a Least Developed Country (LDC), where approximately 70 per cent of the population lives in rural areas and relies on rainfed farming, livestock and fisheries.

Lumpy Skin Disease usually attacks big ruminants, caused by the LSD virus, transmitted between animals by arthropod vectors, resulting in severe economic losses for farmers due to reduced milk yield, damaged hides, weight loss, reproductive issues, and occasional animal deaths. First reported in Eritrea in the late 1990s, LSD has become endemic, primarily spreading during the rainy season due to arthropod vectors. Recent outbreaks in 2023 have severely impacted the livelihoods of pastoralists and agropastoralists in the Gash Barka, Debub, Anseba, and Maekel regions.

This project aims to mitigate the effects of LSD through vaccination campaigns, capacity development of health workers & field veterinarians and community sensitization & awareness campaigns, thus enhancing the resilience of livestock-dependent communities.