The Close-Out event for the LIDISKI project
The close-out event for the LIDISKI project took place at the Hawthorn Suite in Abuja, Nigeria, from November 12th to 14th, 2024. This event marked the end of a five-year initiative aimed at enhancing the surveillance and control of two critical livestock diseases, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Newcastle Disease (ND) across Nigeria.
Dr. Maryam Muhammad, Director/Chief Executive of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom, in her speech, highlighted the significant strides made in enhancing animal disease surveillance and control across Nigeria during the close-out meeting.
Dr. Muhammad further emphasized that the LIDISKI project, launched in 2019, has been pivotal in improving the management of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Newcastle Disease (ND) through collaborative efforts involving key stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), CIRAD, the Italian Health Authority, and IKORE.
She underscored the project's success in reaching smallholder farmers, with 91 out of 92 farmers surveyed reporting an increase in their income due to better disease control, access to vaccines, and improved animal health practices. Furthermore, the project has contributed significantly to capacity building, training 3 MSc and 5 PhD students, as well as 138 community animal health workers (CAHWs) and 34 field veterinarians, who were instrumental in the collection and analysis of data that has helped shape disease control strategies.
The project also played a key role in behavioral change, reaching over 500 villages and educating 502,000 smallholder farmers on disease prevention, vaccination schedules, and early disease detection. Dr. Muhammad also highlighted the installation of solar-powered systems for cold chain maintenance at NVRI, which has improved vaccine delivery to rural communities, further enhancing the reach of the project's efforts.
One of the most notable achievements was the distribution of over 3.9 million PPR vaccine doses and 7.7 million ND vaccine doses, significantly reducing disease spread and improving animal health. Dr. Muhammad emphasized that the rich dataset generated from the project will continue to serve as a foundation for future disease surveillance and research initiatives, contributing to the National Animal Disease Surveillance and Reporting platform.
In closing, Dr. Muhammad expressed deep gratitude to all partners, stakeholders, and participants, stressing that the success of the LIDISKI project is a testament to the power of collaboration in addressing critical animal health challenges. She called for continued efforts to build on the momentum created and ensure the sustainability of the systems and relationships established throughout the project.
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