Dimapur: Nagaland Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department, in collaboration with the Nagaland Livestock Development Board (NLDB), launched the 4th round of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination mission in the state under the National Animal Disease Control Programme at the Nagaland Livestock Development Board headquarters in Kohima on Wednesday.
The event was launched by Dr Achila Ao, director, the animal husbandry and veterinary services department, in the presence of senior officials of the department, local farmers, and veterinary professionals.
In her address, Ao reiterated the state’s commitment to combating animal diseases that impact the livestock economy and rural households.
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She emphasised the importance of such initiatives for improving animal health and productivity and highlighted the success of previous rounds of the vaccination drive.
Chairing the programme, NLDB project director Dr Kewelelo Mero highlighted the roadmap of the National Animal Disease Control Programme for FMD.
The FMD vaccination drive aims to bolster livestock health across the state and eliminate foot and mouth disease, a contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and pigs.
The drive is aimed at controlling FMD by 2025 and eradicating it by 2030, and ensuring healthier livestock productivity through continuous vaccination rounds, improved animal health and reducing productivity losses due to the disease, boosting milk and meat production, contributing to the economy and food security and strengthening the livelihoods of farmers, particularly in rural areas.
The previous three rounds of the vaccination drive had resulted in a significant reduction in FMD cases across the state, with over 95% of livestock already covered under the programme.
This 4th round aims to achieve 100% vaccination coverage, ensuring protection for all susceptible animals in Nagaland.