Jonglei youth group secures 1000 doses of vaccine for cattle
Bor Community Youth Association (BCYA) in Juba said it has secured more than 1000 vaccine doses for East Coast Fever (ECF), a disease that has been affecting cattle in Jonglei State.
The group said this would persuade the cattle keepers to return home.
The vaccine will be administered effectively to guarantee animals’ health and protection against the diseases that have been compelling animals to flee to parts of Equatoria.
“The issue of animal diseases which is hindering the return of cattle to Bor, the leadership of BCYA has been tirelessly working for the last nine months to address this challenge,” said Dr. Bior Kuol Bior, Chairperson of the BCYA in Juba.
Dr. Kuol added “to address this challenge, several logistical issues had to be addressed, chief among them included source of funding, establishment of a Cold Chain in Juba, identification of a supplier, and the procurement of vaccine,”
However, he said they still need more support to make the vaccine available not only in Bor but to other parts of the country where East Coast Fever disease is affecting animals.
According to the BCYA, the first batch of the vaccine procured and transported from Malawi to South Sudan by funding from the community’s contribution will address disease challenges but insecurity and flooding needed to be addressed too.
The East Coast Fever is a lethal disease of cattle caused by the blood parasite Theileria Parva and transmitted by the Brown Ear Tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus). The parasite multiplies in the tick’s salivary glands and the disease is introduced into the animal through the tick’s saliva.
“This is the disease that has been killing cattle in our area … and the vaccine comprises a homogenized preparation of infected ticks packaged in straws and stored in liquid nitrogen,” Dr. Kuol said.
On Sunday, violence erupted between nomadic pastoralists and suspected unidentified cattle raiders in Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State, resulting in the killing of over 20 people and 27 wounded. Among the deceased were seven children.
This occurred after several warnings by the community’s leaders, MPs, and activists, calling on the government to intervene to avoid potential clashes over grazing and farmlands in Equatoria.
“As we are well aware, our people are not in Equatoria because they love the land or they want to take it over as it is being erroneously propagated but rather to escape a plethora of problems which more often than not are beyond their control, chief among which are insecurity and endemic animal diseases,” Dr. Kuol said.
Greater Jonglei was among many other parts of South Sudan heavily affected by the flood over the past years as well as the subnational conflict that forced the vulnerable community to migrate with their cattle to the haven.
However, in relations between the herders and host communities, most farmers grew soar recently as the latter complain of their crops’ destruction.
