By Aminata Kuyateh
The government on Monday officially launched a nationwide vaccination campaign targeting peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and pasteurellosis in small ruminants.
The campaign is aimed at battling against the highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats.
The initiative is expected to run for two months and envisaged to reach every unvaccinated flock across the country. It forms part of The Gambia national strategy for the control and eradication of PPR and aligns with both the African Union’s continental elimination plan and the global eradication programme led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Ansumana Njie, Director P2P2RS, said the campaign represent a crucial step towards improving livestock health and farmers livelihoods.
He urged farmers and herders to bring their animals forward for free vaccination, stressing that the true measure of success will not be in the launch speeches but in the number of animals immunised and the resilience built within rural communities.
“This campaign is not an isolated event but a decisive battle in a wider war. Our national efforts are perfectly aligned with the broader vision to eradicate PPR by 2030. By protecting our own herds, we are safeguarding livelihoods and preventing the spread of this disease across borders,” he added.
DG Ceesay underscored the critical role of collaboration, highlighting the contributions of the Small Ruminant Production Enhancement Project and the P2P2RS Gambia Project, which has provided support to ensure the campaign, reaches every corner of the country.
Veterinary officers, livestock health workers, and community animal health auxiliaries have been deployed as the “frontline soldiers” of the campaign, tasked with travelling from village to village to vaccinate animals. Sensitisation efforts have also been rolled out through radio and television programmes to encourage farmers to participate actively.
According to the director general of DLS, PPR caused by a virus, is one of the leading killers of small ruminants in Africa and that like other viral diseases it has no cure, making vaccination the most effective prevention method.
He noted that alongside PPR, the campaign will also vaccinate against pasteurellosis—a bacterial disease that often increases when PPR is controlled.
DG Ceesay praised the National Livestock Owners Association (NaLOA) and its subsidiary groups for their role in mobilising farmers and bridging the gap between policymakers and communities.
