FAO Mozambique launches vaccination campaign against ND

FAO Mozambique has launched a vaccination progamme against Newcastle disease as part of a €77 million Programme, funded by the European Union and Government of Mozambique to increase food security and nutrition activities within the country.

The Programme is structured under 16 results components and targets 46 districts located in seven provinces. FAO is implementing six components: i) support to the seed sector; ii) improve access to inputs through e-voucher; iii) consolidation and expansion of Farmer Field Schools; iv) vaccination against Newcastle disease; v) post-harvest and infrastructure at the household level, and vi) home gardens and nutritional education.

More specifically, within the fourth component, FAO Mozambique launched a vaccination campaign against Newcastle disease affecting domestic poultry production, especially chickens. The campaign will cover fifteen districts in the central and northern parts of the country, reaching over 62,000 families.

FAO Representative in Mozambique explained that the initiative aims at eradicating malnutrition and increasing incomes of rural families through poultry production. He also added that Newcastle is a harmful virus that can cause mortality levels to reach 70-80% in birds during periods of outbreak.

FAO is investing to prevent an outbreak of the disease, which has a very strong impact in rural parts of the country and vaccination is the only preventive measure available at this time. The organisation is additionally supporting Mozambique’s efforts by supplying laboratory and cooling equipment, which will aid the government in increasing the capacity of production of the vaccine.