Kwara  State Government has commenced the second phase of a statewide mass anthrax vaccination campaign across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State.

While Flagging off the campaign at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Ilorin, the State Commissioner for Livestock Development,  Oloruntoyosi Thomas  said  the campaign was necessary to avoid zoonotic disease.

According to her the state government had also approved logistics supports to ensure a state-wide mass vaccination of susceptible animals like cattle, sheep and goats.

The Commissioner who was represented by the Director, Personnel, Finance and Supply at  the Ministry, Mallam Yusuf Rafiu, explained that anthrax was a bacterial zoonotic disease of economic and public health concern that affected both animals and human beings.

“Due to the risk associated with anthrax and its tendency to spread through trans-boundary movement of trade animals, mostly ruminants across state borders, it therefore becomes necessary for the State to activate its rapid response mechanisms and initiate proactive measures towards the mitigation of the occurrence and spread of the disease in the State.”she said.

The Director, Veterinary Services of the Ministry, Dr. Olugbon Saliman mentioned that the essence of the vaccination campaign was to mitigate the occurrence and spread of the disease in the State.

Dr. Saliman appealed to animal owners and livestock farmers to embrace the opportunity and present their animals for vaccination.