vaccination underway

Building Resilience through Better Animal Health

In a significant step towards improving livestock health and farmer resilience, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Government of Canada, successfully carried out a sensitization and vaccination campaign targeting small ruminants in Ghana’s Upper East Region.

The campaign formed part of the project “Increasing Climate Resilience and Improving Farmers’ Livelihoods in the Upper East Region of Ghana”, which seeks to strengthen food and nutrition security while boosting the climate resilience of vulnerable rural communities, many of whom are women who rely on livestock for their livelihoods.

In partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), including its Veterinary Services Directorate and District Departments of Agriculture, the campaign directly supported smallholder farmers in Kassena-Nankana West and Builsa South districts.

Diseases like Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) remain a major threat to livestock production in northern Ghana. To address this, FAO trained 24 veterinary officers and national service personnel from the two districts. These officers led farmer sensitization sessions and rolled out a vaccination drive that successfully immunized over 3,500 sheep and goats against PPR.

“As Regional Veterinary Officer, I’m proud to see our efforts translating into real impact for farmers. This campaign not only protects livestock from devastating diseases like PPR but also builds trust between veterinary services and the communities we serve. Strengthening local capacity is key to sustaining animal health and rural livelihoods.” Said Henry Nii Ayi Anang, Upper East Regional Veterinary Officer,

“By building veterinary capacity and working hand-in-hand with farming communities, this campaign has helped protect livestock assets, reduce disease risk, and improve rural livelihoods,” added Priya Gujadhur, FAO Representative in Ghana (a.i.).

Veterinary officers were also trained to use the Kobo Collect tool for real-time digital data collection, enabling efficient capture of GPS locations, farmer profiles, and vaccination data. This has improved local monitoring and decision-making for both FAO and local authorities.

More than 1,000 farmers were reached through targeted awareness sessions on the importance of animal vaccination and the risks of transboundary animal diseases. Efforts were made to ensure that both male and female livestock owners participated fully and benefited equally from the services provided.

About PPR

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects small ruminants, especially goats and sheep. It spreads quickly and can cause high death rates, particularly in areas with limited veterinary services. Symptoms include fever, mouth sores, diarrhoea, and breathing difficulties. PPR threatens food security and livelihoods for millions of rural families who depend on small ruminants for income, nutrition, and resilience. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent and control the disease.

The campaign aligns with national priorities to enhance early warning and response systems in the livestock sector and contributes to global efforts to promote animal health as a foundation for resilient livelihoods and sustainable food systems.