Alebtong district veterinary department has borrowed Shs2 million from the staff Sacco to procure vaccines to vaccinate animals against the Black quarter disease. Black quarter, also known as blackleg is an infectious disease caused by clostridium chauvoei.
The infection occurs when animals ingest bacterial spores while grazing, giving it a chance to penetrate the intestine and the skeletal muscle killing the animal within 24 to 48 hours. It presents with swelling of the thigh.
The district has registered a rapid increase in the number of animals resulting from the disease in the last three weeks. So far over 50 cattle have died from within Okomo, Olwero and Alolololo parishes in Adwir sub-county.
To mitigate the problem, the district borrowed Shs2m from the district staff SACCO and used it to procure 1,050 doses of vaccines, syringes, record books and fuel the motorcycles for veterinary officers going to the field to vaccinate the animals. The district will pay back the loan at 10% interest within a month.
The team is charging Shillings 5000 per animal vaccinated to recover the money and pay back the loan. The exercise will start from Adwir sub-county and spread out to the other sub-counties such as Omoro, Aloi, Abia and Apala, which are on the banks of River Moroto.
Charles Noki, the Alebtong District Production Officer explained that they took the loan because the ministry’s stores in Kampala had run out of vaccines and yet there is a crisis on the ground.
On Monday morning, when the veterinary doctors visited Adwir sub-county to start vaccinating animals, not a single farmer presented any animal for vaccination. Most of them claim they did not get the information early enough whereas others say the Shillings 5000 levy is too high.
Geoffrey Okello, the Oyarodok LC 1 chairperson, says that he received the information on Saturday night and announced the planned exercise in church, which was not enough to mobilize people. According to him, the farmers are willing to vaccinate their animals but they need time to gather resources to fund the process.
Edward Ojom, a resident of Tedam village, who owns 6 cows, says although he is willing to vaccinate his animals, he needs some days to raise Shillings 30,000 needed to vaccinate all the cows.
But Noki is disappointed that the farmers are reluctant to have their animals vaccinated against the disease despite its visible effect on them. Adding that farmers are paying for the vaccines because they have to repay the loan.
“I would actually implore them to make sure that their animals are vaccinated so that they can protect them from infection.” The district is also vaccinating cats and dogs against rabies at a fee of 2000/- per animal.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
