FAO, EU donate vaccine production technology
22 October 2018, Bishoftu - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union (EU) donate the first-ever thermo-tolerant vaccine production technology (“Lyophiliser Machine”) to Ethiopia’s National Veterinary Institute (NVI), the country’s single vaccine producing institute based in Bishoftu town.
The technology boosts the institute’s capacity to produce 50 million doses of thermo-tolerant Peste des petis ruminants (PPR) vaccine per year and facilitates cost effective vaccine delivery systems for the ongoing National PPR Eradication Campaign, which aims to reduce the death of small ruminants and contribute to the realization of food secure livestock owners in Ethiopia.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Dr. Martha Yami, General Director of NVI, said: “The provision of the Lyophiliser machine to our institute is very important for the progressive control of PPR in Ethiopia.”
The thermo-tolerant vaccines are distributed to pastoral areas that are vulnerable to goat and sheep diseases (PPR) and where it is difficult to maintain them in a cold chain.
“We believe that the production of thermo-tolerant PPR vaccine by NVI will considerably contribute to the elimination of PPR from all corners of Ethiopia by 2027,” said Ms. Fatouma Seid, FAO Representative to Ethiopia.
She went on, “FAO will continue supporting for the sustainable development of livestock sector in Ethiopia.”
NVI reports indicate that it has distributed nearly 11 million doses of conventional PPR vaccines to implementing partners before the advent of the new technology.
Currently, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoALRs) and partners are implementing a progressive control program for PPR in the lowland pastoralist and adjacent belg growing areas of Afar, Tigray, Amhara, the southern lowlands of Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regional states.
FAO’s PPR Eradication Project vaccinated over 11 million small ruminants, trained more than 251 public veterinarians on participatory disease surveillance (PDS) and disease notification and reporting approaches and 390 experts on vaccine management and handling techniques; sensitized over 25,912 households about PPR disease through poster, radio and television messages; undertook PDS activities in most intervention areas; and improved disease notification and reporting systems in all project areas during the last two and half years.
Contact
Yonas Tafesse, EU-SHARE Program – PPR Project Extension Communication Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Email: [email protected]