Several teams of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) vaccinated 12 million goats and sheep against PPR and saved 300 thousand heads of cattle from foot and mouth disease in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

A Japanese Government-funded Transboundary Animal Disease (TAD) project aims to eliminate 2 deadly endemic diseases: Peste de Petites Ruminants (PPR) and foot and mouth disease (FMD).

“As a result, there was no outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease or outbreaks in the communities where they were vaccinated. Although these vaccinations must be repeated, the project had a real impact on the lives of tens of thousands of Afghan farmers who were able to save more herds, ”FAO said.

Over the past couple of years, FAO staff and more than 1,000 community-based health workers have conducted periodic examinations, vaccinations, and raised awareness about the prevention of animal contagious diseases through early treatment, setting up outreach rooms, and publishing illustrated brochures for illiterate farmers.

Livestock breeders were also informed when and where they could receive the medicine. During this process, their livestock were vaccinated against PPR and foot and mouth disease.

The FAO has also rebuilt and equipped the central livestock diagnostic laboratory in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, with modern equipment, a training laboratory, storage for 10 million doses of vaccines and a team of specialists able to quickly diagnose the disease.

Although the TAD project has proven successful for the livestock sector in Afghanistan, the greatest danger lies in the cross-border movement of sick animals from another country. Foot and mouth disease and PPR are currently endemic both in Afghanistan and in neighboring countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.