The government is set to launch a nationwide livestock vaccination and identification campaign on June 16, 2025, aimed at boosting animal health and opening up access to regional and international markets.
According to the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Dr Ashatu Kijaji, the programme, to be officiated by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Bariadi, Simiyu Region, targets more than 76 million animals, including cattle, goats, sheep, and indigenous chickens.
This vaccination campaign is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to improve the health of livestock in the country, which is currently estimated to include 39.2 million cattle, 28.6 million goats, 9.7 million sheep, 108.2 million chickens, and 4.1 million pigs.
Despite this large livestock population, the sector’s contribution to the national GDP stands at just 6.2 percent and one key reason for this low contribution is the presence of various livestock diseases that negatively affect productivity by causing animal deaths and limiting access to international markets due to lack of health certification.
Briefing reporters in Dodoma on Wednesday, Dr Kijaji said the government has been implementing several strategies to combat livestock diseases.
“These strategies include promoting livestock dipping using pesticides to kill ticks and other parasites, and administering vaccines against preventable diseases,” the Minister noted.
She explained further that over the past four years of the Sixth Phase Government, 548 new livestock dips have been constructed, and 1,014 dips have been rehabilitated at a total cost of 11.6bn/-.
Additionally, 147,907.75 liters of livestock dip chemicals valued at 6.7bn/- were distributed.
These efforts, she added, have significantly reduced livestock deaths caused by tick-borne and other parasitic diseases from 72 percent in 2021 to 45 percent in 2025.
Regarding vaccine-preventable diseases, Dr Kijaji said past vaccination efforts have been sporadic, carried out by local government authorities, large farms, or individual livestock keepers without national coordination insisting “Such piecemeal efforts cannot eliminate disease outbreaks.”
“To eliminate these diseases, it is scientifically recommended to vaccinate at least 70 percent of livestock for five consecutive years. This will enable Tanzania to meet international standards required by organizations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and open up lucrative markets in Asia and Europe,” she said.
She added: “Therefore, the Sixth Phase Government under President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has approved a five-year national vaccination plan from 2025 to 2029, with a total budget of 216bn/- to support the vaccination and identification of livestock across the country.”
For smooth operation during the exercise, according to Minister Kijaji, the government has procured 700 motorcycles and 4,500 tablets, which will be officially handed over by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on June 16, 2025, during the campaign launch.
“These tools will support vaccination and livestock identification exercises, as well as facilitate data collection on disease outbreaks and productivity in the sector,” she said.
She noted that in the first phase of the campaign, the plan is to vaccinate 19,097,223 cattle against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), 17 million goats and sheep against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), and 40 million indigenous chickens against Newcastle Disease (ND), Fowl Pox, and Avian Influenza.
She said while the vaccination campaign will be led by government experts at the local government level, the initiative will also involve 3,540 veterinary graduates who are currently unemployed, offering them short-term job opportunities in the campaign.
“Recognizing the importance of Livestock Identification, Registration, and Traceability, especially for international trade, this vaccination campaign will be conducted in tandem with livestock identification using electronic ear tags for all vaccinated animals,” she said.
Source - https://dailynews.co.tz
