HPAI is a serious disease and requires a rapid response because it is highly contagious and often fatal to chickens. It is highly contagious among birds and can be deadly, especially in domestic poultry.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at a conference, adding that HPAI in Nigeria has been diminishing the population of poultry in Nigeria.
He noted that the effect has been challenging and affecting the economic standard of poultry farmers in Nigeria.
However, Abubakar noted that a ministerial committee has been set up by the FG to fight the disease.
“The committee inaugurated by my Permanent Secretary, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, on my behalf on Jan. 24 met for two days in Nasarawa State.
“After due consideration of scientific and socio-economic evidence available to the committee on merits and demerits of vaccination on no vaccination, the committee recommends that the country should stick to the ‘No Vaccination’ policy for now. Though the committee noted that the country might want to change its policy to vaccinate against HPAI in future.
“It recommends some activities to be carried out before considering the option of vaccination against HPAI as a policy for the country,” he said.
He, however, implored Nigeria’s development partners, individuals and organisations to collaborate efforts of the government in combating the disease as the FG is ready to control and eradicate the disease in Nigeria.
Director, of Veterinary and Pest Control Service, Dr Columba Vakura, called for collaboration among stakeholders along the value chain as the disease is highly mobile, calling for full compliance with hygiene measures along the poultry value chain to reduce the chances of the disease occurring.
Vakura noted that the disease could be controlled without vaccination, citing that the process of vaccination was cumbersome because it would involve more than one vaccine to make sure the birds are protected.
