A vaccination drive began Thursday for more than 5,000 livestock in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
The free vaccination campaign was organized by UNMISS peacekeepers from Bangladesh. The exercise, which started at Marial-Ajieth in Wau Municipality, is expected to cover Wau, Raja and Jur River counties.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Lt. Col. Mizan of the UN peacekeepers from the Bangladeshi Banbat 4 contingent, said: “This is our third veterinary treatment and de-worming program. The animals are suffering from skin diseases and parasitic diseases.”
He said the contingent also plans to carry out capacity building on livestock management.
For his part, Dr Paul Angelo of the state ministry of livestock and fisheries said the main diseases infecting livestock include contiguous carbine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), ticks, worms, eye infections and skin diseases.
“Some of them have internal parasites, others have external parasites and also there is pneumonia, contiguous caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) and also some have skin diseases and eye infections,” said Angelo.
Luka Lual Aleu, a cattle owner, said: “The vaccination campaign is very important because we don’t have the drugs and if the government said cattle have to be vaccinated, we are ready and happy.”
Another cattle owner, Martin Mawein Atak, said: ““My only cow that reached here is the one with wounds and this cow has suffered for a long time. I thank the peacekeepers from Bangladesh for bringing these drugs to treat our animals.”
Atak urged the Bangladeshi Banbat 4 contingent to continue increasing it support to the locals.