The Kaduna State Government has launched an anti-rabies vaccination campaign for dogs and cats as part of efforts to curb zoonotic diseases in the state.
Murtala Dabo, the Commissioner for Agriculture, flagged off the campaign on Wednesday in Rigasa, Igabi Local Government Area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise also involves community sensitisation on zoonotic diseases and the disinfection of live bird markets to minimise the risk of avian influenza.
Represented by Abubakar Abba, Permanent Secretary, Dabo said the campaign underscored the government’s commitment to proactive disease prevention through the One Health approach.
He said rabies and avian influenza posed serious risks to human health, livelihoods, food security, and community well-being.
“Prevention must remain at the heart of our approach,” he said.
Dabo described rabies as a deadly but preventable disease, urging dog owners to vaccinate their animals and practise responsible ownership.
He also called for prompt reporting of animal bites, as well as unusual illness or deaths among birds.
The commissioner urged traditional and religious leaders to support awareness campaigns on responsible animal ownership and the early reporting of suspected diseases.
He also called on poultry farmers and live bird market operators to maintain proper biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of avian influenza.
Dabo said the success of the campaign would depend largely on actions taken by communities after the flag-off.
“When communities report suspected diseases early, animal owners embrace vaccination, farmers practise good biosecurity, and citizens become active partners in protecting public health, we will know that the campaign is succeeding,” he said.
Dr. Shitu Salisu-Hashim, Kaduna State Project Coordinator, Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), said the project was supporting the campaign with vaccines and logistics.
Hashim said the national L-PRES office had supplied anti-rabies vaccines, as well as vaccines against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), and Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
He said the Kaduna L-PRES office provided logistics to ensure the vaccines reached livestock owners across the state.
Hashim said rabies was a deadly zoonotic disease transmitted mainly through bites from infected animals.
He urged livestock owners to present their animals for vaccination to prevent the spread of diseases.
Dr. Zakariya Pakachi, Director, Veterinary and Livestock Services, said the government had strengthened veterinary services through the rehabilitation of abattoirs and slaughter slabs.
He said the state had also constructed veterinary clinics and boreholes in pastoral communities, while deploying mobile veterinary teams to take animal healthcare closer to livestock owners.
The director stated that government vaccination campaigns had thus far protected over 850,000 cattle, 250,000 sheep and goats, 250,000 poultry, and 5,000 dogs against transboundary and zoonotic diseases.
Sani Abdul, Chairman of Igabi Local Government Area, urged residents, particularly dog owners, to support the vaccination exercise.
Abdul said effective prevention of zoonotic diseases required cooperation among government, communities, and development partners.
He commended the state government and its partners for taking preventive veterinary services to the grassroots.
