Small ruminants – sheep and goats – are a vital asset for many of the world’s poorest livestock keepers and are reared in large numbers by pastoral communities. However, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 80% of the world’s 2 billion small ruminant population in Africa, the Middle East and Asia are threatened by a disease known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR). First discovered in 1942 in Côte d’Ivoire, this virulent disease has since spread to over 70 countries and many more remain at risk, particularly with the movement of animals by pastoral communities. Once introduced, the PPR virus can infect up to 90% of a flock or herd and is fatal to up to 70% of infected animals.

Another similar viral disease affecting sheep and goats is known as Sheep and Goat Pox (SGP), which has a mortality rate of about 50% and equally presents a significant loss for any livestock keeper.

Vaccines for both PPR and SGP are available but their use has been predominantly limited to governments vaccinating livestock once an outbreak occurs. However, this does not prevent fatalities and farmers therefore lose infected herds and flocks. Even when animals do not die, they lose weight, milk yields fall and their market value is reduced. There is no treatment for infected animals and vaccination is the only way to prevent and reduce the incidence of these serious small ruminant diseases.

Despite the value of their animals, and the devastating effects of these two diseases, livestock keepers do not routinely vaccinate their livestock to prevent serious losses occurring.

“When PPR was first reported in Uganda in 2007, an estimated 700,000 goats and sheep died,” says Chrisostom Ayebazibwe, senior veterinary officer in Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAIF). “Since then there have been regular interventions to avoid another major epidemic. But, we still estimate that around 10% of sheep and goats are dying quietly from PPR. Many more poor livestock keepers are affected by SGP, which often goes unreported. We need to do a lot of work to assist the populations that keep these small ruminants.”

To help raise awareness about the two diseases and the need for routine vaccination, the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) is working with partners in various countries to sensitise pastoralist communities and other livestock keepers. This is no easy task when livestock keepers are used to governments vaccinating their animals for free. “Our challenge is to inform livestock keepers so that they can take control of their own livelihoods; if they routinely vaccinate their animals then outbreaks will not take hold and losses will be reduced,” says Abdallah Said Twahir, GALVmed’s Director of Market Development and Access.

Two-for-one

GALVmed, a not-for-profit organisation that works with partners to make livestock vaccines available and accessible by smallholder farmers, is supporting the wider availability of a combined vaccine for PPR and SGP developed by the Moroccan animal health company, M.C.I. Santé Animale. MCI is the only vaccine manufacturer worldwide to produce and register a combined PPR/SGP vaccine. The combined vaccine will provide protection against both diseases and will be made available through government vets, private vets and agrovet shops at a fee. Farmers will be able to purchase the vaccine to protect their livestock against PPR or SGP.

In 2015, Ayebazibwe reports that vaccine trials of the MCI combined PPR/SGP vaccine – LYOPOX-PPRTM were launched. In Moroto, Karamoja, north-eastern Uganda, 700,000 sheep and goats were vaccinated along with 30,000 in Sembabule, central Uganda. “Karamoja is a hot spot area for PPR,” states Ayebazibwe. “This is where the first PPR outbreak was reported. It is a pastoralist area and there is a lot of cross border movement of animals.”

Livestock keepers have greatly appreciated using the combined vaccine. Farmers reported that livestock are healthier and they would like a continuous vaccination programme. In Karamoja the vaccination has been free. This is because livestock keepers have few resources and reducing the disease in the region is a national priority. However in Sembabule, MAIF is exploring cost-sharing with the private sector, whereby farmers pay a small fee for the vaccine.

“The cost of the vaccine per animal is around US$1,” Ayebazibwe says. “This is still a lot of money for most farmers, particularly women and young people who own just a few sheep and goats to help with household expenses. But in regions like Sembabule, where a goat can be sold for up to US$30, farmers are better able to afford veterinary and vaccination services.”

One way to encourage communities to purchase the combined vaccine to protect their livestock is to target opinion leaders, states Twahir. “If we can convince commercial farmers to vaccinate and an outbreak occurs, others in the community see that their animals have not been affected and uptake becomes much better.” He adds that, “Government priorities change over time and livestock keepers cannot rely on government regularly providing free vaccination services. With a private sector approach, farmers can choose to protect their animals and control their livelihoods. This approach allows for the sustainability of distribution of the combined vaccine.”

The LYOPOX-PPRTM vaccine is registered in Morocco and awaits marketing authorisation in several countries where registration dossiers have already been submitted and accepted by regulatory authorities. These are the UEMOA centralised registration (grouping of eight Francophone West African countries), Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. In Uganda, following the positive response from livestock keepers and communities to MCI’s initial 100,000 doses, the government and FAO have ordered further supplies of the combined vaccine.

“We have the capacity to supply at least 135 million doses per year,” says Baptiste Dungu, head of MCI strategy business development. “The project with GALVmed to prime the market has been very useful in creating awareness and triggering more use of the combined vaccine. We hope to expand on this approach.”

Read this podcast’s transcript.

Written by Susanna Cartmell-Thorp, WRENmedia

Podcast by Pius Sawa, WRENmedia correspondent

Produced by WRENmedia

Photos by GALVmed/Karel Prinsloo

This is part 2 of a two part podcast series on making markets to fight Newcastle Disease in Uganda. Click here to listen to part 1.

Chickens are an important source of income and food for rural families across Africa. Newcastle disease, a highly infectious viral disease that affects poultry, can be fatal and wipe out entire flocks. Whilst there is no cure for Newcastle Disease, vaccination is enough to control the disease and protect valuable chickens and other poultry. A new I-2 vaccine, which can last longer than a conventional vaccine, is making a huge difference to Ugandan poultry keepers’ livelihoods, especially in rural areas.

Removing barriers

One of the biggest obstacles currently faced by small-scale farmers and poultry keepers is that vaccines quickly lose effectiveness if not kept refrigerated, usually within 2 hours. The benefit of the newly registered I-2 vaccine is that it is thermotolerant, which means it can be stored for longer without refrigeration in temperatures up to 37◦C without any temperature variations. This makes the vaccine much more user-friendly: even in remote rural areas, poultry keepers can administer the liquid vaccine themselves directly into birds’ eyes or nostrils.

To help bring this vaccine to where it is needed most, the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) has partnered with private vaccine manufacturer, Brentec, based in Kampala, Uganda.  GALVmed is a non-profit organisation working towards available and accessible livestock vaccines for smallholder farmers, and this partnership is enabling Brentec to produce the I-2 vaccine (Brentec’s branded vaccine is called Kukustar) and distribute it to rural areas.

Sarah Nanzala, a farmer who has been rearing chicken for more than five years has noticed a huge difference since using the vaccine: “I used to rear 50 chickens and around 20 would die as a result of Newcastle Disease. But since I started using Kukustar none of my chickens have died. I have been able to pay my children’s school fees. I urge all farmers to use Kukustar vaccine and ask that manufacturers like Brentec keep bringing it to us.” Muchiri Stephen is another farmer who has realised the importance of vaccinating chickens using Kukustar: “We are lucky that whenever we need to, we can vaccinate our birds. The fact that we can reduce the mortality rate of the birds is making farmers love keeping the birds.”

Private sector for public good

Together, Brentec and GALVmed are using a private sector model to effectively distribute the vaccine to farmers through agrovets. Under this model, farmers pay a small fee to purchase the vaccine from agrovet businesses that, in turn, order the vaccine in bulk from Brentec. By paying a small fee, farmers appreciate the economic value of the vaccine in comparison to free-distribution models, which often only last as long as a project or campaign is funded.

As Brian Bigirwa, Quality Assurance Manager at Brentec in Kampala explains: “Most initiatives fail because people give out the vaccine for free. So farmers do not understand the value of the vaccine. But if a farmer spends as little as 100 shillings on the vaccine and they manage to sell the healthy chicken for 12,000 shillings, they can see the value. I encourage organisations trying to [combat livestock diseases] to make vaccines affordable but never free. Farmers need to understand the value for a sustainable market.”

The private sector model works well, according to poultry keepers, farmers, agrovets, and extension workers because, “We get these vaccines when we need them, in the quantity we need, and well before the expiry date,” says vaccinator, Ikona Stephen. Another positive is that farmers are able to contribute what they can towards the vaccine quantity required for their flocks: as little as 100 Ugandan shillings ($0.03) for a small vial. Using formal distribution channels such as an agrovet business helps reduce animosity caused by access difficulties and uneven distribution efforts. For example, farmer Anyoti Godfrey now also helps to vaccinate his neighbours’ birds: “It makes sense and it helps to carry out the [vaccination] programme without any loopholes because the neighbours can afford the same as you in this system.”

Paying attention to poultry

Creating a long-term, viable vaccination market for poultry makes sense for all those involved. “Kukustar is very good compared to other products which come around and stay for a few years and then disappear off the market,” explains vet and Kukustar distributer, Dr Nahamya Florence (pictured right). “Now that the vaccine is available, people are increasing their numbers of poultry and also their stocks of Kukustar. Of course, this means I also have a job and food on the table. But, at the same time, I feel happy that my customers’ welfare is improved. So I believe the vaccine is doing a very good job in Uganda’s economy, 80% of which relies on agriculture,” Dr Florence explains.

Extension worker for Buyengo sub-county in Jinja district, Uganda, Samson Ojakol, thinks the public-private partnership between GALVmed and Brentec is a wonderful approach, “the poultry industry in Uganda was neglected before,” he says. “Now we’re saving the life of birds and improving the lives of people.”

Audio transcript available here.

Audio, research and photos by Pius Sawa, WRENmedia correspondent. Article written by Jessica Summers, WRENmedia.

Produced by WRENmedia.

This is part 1 of a two part podcast series on making markets to fight Newcastle Disease in Uganda. Click here to listen to part 2.

Chickens are an important source of income and food for rural families across Africa. Newcastle disease, a highly infectious viral disease that affects poultry, can be fatal and wipe out entire flocks. Whilst there is no cure for Newcastle Disease, vaccination is enough to control the disease and protect valuable chickens and other poultry. A new I-2 vaccine, which can last longer than a conventional vaccine, is making a huge difference to Ugandan poultry keepers’ livelihoods, especially in rural areas.

Removing barriers

One of the biggest obstacles currently faced by small-scale farmers and poultry keepers is that vaccines quickly lose effectiveness if not kept refrigerated, usually within 2 hours. The benefit of the newly registered I-2 vaccine is that it is thermotolerant, which means it can be stored for longer without refrigeration in temperatures up to 37◦C without any temperature variations. This makes the vaccine much more user-friendly: even in remote rural areas, poultry keepers can administer the liquid vaccine themselves directly into birds’ eyes or nostrils.

To help bring this vaccine to where it is needed most, the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) has partnered with private vaccine manufacturer, Brentec, based in Kampala, Uganda.  GALVmed is a non-profit organisation working towards available and accessible livestock vaccines for smallholder farmers, and this partnership is enabling Brentec to produce the I-2 vaccine (Brentec’s branded vaccine is called Kukustar) and distribute it to rural areas.

Sarah Nanzala, a farmer who has been rearing chicken for more than five years has noticed a huge difference since using the vaccine: “I used to rear 50 chickens and around 20 would die as a result of Newcastle Disease. But since I started using Kukustar none of my chickens have died. I have been able to pay my children’s school fees. I urge all farmers to use Kukustar vaccine and ask that manufacturers like Brentec keep bringing it to us.” Muchiri Stephen is another farmer who has realised the importance of vaccinating chickens using Kukustar: “We are lucky that whenever we need to, we can vaccinate our birds. The fact that we can reduce the mortality rate of the birds is making farmers love keeping the birds.”

Private sector for public good

Together, Brentec and GALVmed are using a private sector model to effectively distribute the vaccine to farmers through agrovets. Under this model, farmers pay a small fee to purchase the vaccine from agrovet businesses that, in turn, order the vaccine in bulk from Brentec. By paying a small fee, farmers appreciate the economic value of the vaccine in comparison to free-distribution models, which often only last as long as a project or campaign is funded.

As Brian Bigirwa, Quality Assurance Manager at Brentec in Kampala explains: “Most initiatives fail because people give out the vaccine for free. So farmers do not understand the value of the vaccine. But if a farmer spends as little as 100 shillings on the vaccine and they manage to sell the healthy chicken for 12,000 shillings, they can see the value. I encourage organisations trying to [combat livestock diseases] to make vaccines affordable but never free. Farmers need to understand the value for a sustainable market.”

The private sector model works well, according to poultry keepers, farmers, agrovets, and extension workers because, “We get these vaccines when we need them, in the quantity we need, and well before the expiry date,” says vaccinator, Ikona Stephen. Another positive is that farmers are able to contribute what they can towards the vaccine quantity required for their flocks: as little as 100 Ugandan shillings ($0.03) for a small vial. Using formal distribution channels such as an agrovet business helps reduce animosity caused by access difficulties and uneven distribution efforts. For example, farmer Anyoti Godfrey now also helps to vaccinate his neighbours’ birds: “It makes sense and it helps to carry out the [vaccination] programme without any loopholes because the neighbours can afford the same as you in this system.”

Paying attention to poultry

Creating a long-term, viable vaccination market for poultry makes sense for all those involved. “Kukustar is very good compared to other products which come around and stay for a few years and then disappear off the market,” explains vet and Kukustar distributer, Dr Nahamya Florence (pictured right). “Now that the vaccine is available, people are increasing their numbers of poultry and also their stocks of Kukustar. Of course, this means I also have a job and food on the table. But, at the same time, I feel happy that my customers’ welfare is improved. So I believe the vaccine is doing a very good job in Uganda’s economy, 80% of which relies on agriculture,” Dr Florence explains.

Extension worker for Buyengo sub-county in Jinja district, Uganda, Samson Ojakol, thinks the public-private partnership between GALVmed and Brentec is a wonderful approach, “the poultry industry in Uganda was neglected before,” he says. “Now we’re saving the life of birds and improving the lives of people.”

Audio transcript available here.

Audio, research and photos by Pius Sawa, WRENmedia correspondent. Article written by Jessica Summers, WRENmedia.

Produced by WRENmedia.