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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated 100,000 doses of anthrax vaccines to the Ghanaian government. These vaccines, procured from the Vaccine Production Unit of the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Pong-Tamale, Northern Region, are part of efforts to enhance local production. They will support the government’s planned mass vaccination campaign against anthrax, aiming to cover over one million animals across the northern regions. An outbreak of anthrax in May 2023 in parts of the Upper East Region resulted in one human death and livestock losses, prompting a successful containment effort through a mass vaccination campaign. At the launch of a mass anthrax vaccination campaign in Kpallaung, Savelugu Municipality, USAID’s Ghana Mission Director, Kimberly Rosen, emphasized the threat anthrax poses to animals, humans, food security, and economic prosperity. She highlighted the importance of vaccinating cattle, sheep, and goats due to their high risk of transmitting the disease. Dr. Benita Anderson, Deputy National Director of Veterinary Services, commended USAID for its intervention, noting that anthrax also threatens farmers’ livelihoods and food supply chains. She assured that beyond the vaccination campaign, proactive measures would be implemented to prevent anthrax outbreaks. The Northern Regional Director of Agriculture, Hawa Musah, urged the public to ensure their animals are vaccinated.
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