The Enhanced Smallholder Livestock Investment Project (E-SLIP)
The Enhanced Smallholder Livestock Investment Project (E-SLIP)
This sub-component continues the SLIP programme of mass vaccination, sero-surveillance, and removal of positive herds (test and slaughter). Contagious Bovine Pleuro-pneumonia (CBPP) mass vaccinations will be conducted in North Western Province to the point that sero-surveillance and abattoir results indicate a shift to a test and slaughter regime.
The test and slaughter program in Kazungula district will continue under E-SLIP. CBPP vaccination will be conducted in Muchinga and Northern where there have been recent incursions of CBPP from a neighboring country, followed by a test and slaughter program based on sero-surveillance evidence. The Programme will encourage GRZ to continue engaging with its neighbors, either bilaterally and/or through SADC to find a regional solution to CBPP eradication.
To determine the efficacy of vaccination, surveys will be carried out annually within 3 months of vaccination, designed to estimate CBPP sero-prevalence. Annual surveys will be undertaken in each district where vaccination is taking place to judge when the target prevalence for switching to test and slaughter is expected to be reached.
At a pre-determined level of herd and abattoir prevalence, consistent with internationally agreed standards, the control programme will move to test and slaughter. Disease freedom will be declared in a district after two negative annual rounds of testing. Border vaccination up to a depth of 30 km will be implemented in those areas where disease freedom has been declared, but a cross border threat remains.
Programme support will include the procurement of CBPP vaccines and immunization and sero-surveillance materials, sero-surveillance testing, staff training, cattle identification marks, vehicles, motorcycles and related recurrent costs. GRZ will progressively assume the cost of the CBPP control programme.
ECF Immunization will continue the infection and treatment method (ITM) immunization of calves aged 2-18 months in the districts of Southern and Eastern Provinces from 2018 onwards following the completion of the LDAHP. Dependent on the result of sero-prevalence surveys, the ECF ITM programme could be expanded to Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka, Muchinga and Northern provinces.
Surveys will be undertaken in the 11 districts in which ECF ITM is being applied under SLIP to establish the situation with respect to endemic stability to Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis. The results from this survey will be used to give confidence to advice about changing acaricide use in herds where ECF ITM has been used4.
The cost of ECF immunization will be progressively transferred to livestock owners over the programme life, reducing programme/government contribution to zero by programme-end. The programme will also work with the DVS and farmer groups to develop a holistic approach to tick borne disease and tick burden management with a view to safeguarding endemic stability to other tick-borne disease in Zambia.
The programme will support ECF-ITM delivery by private veterinary service providers where practicable. Programme support will include the procurement of stabilate, ECF ITM delivery and sero-surveillance materials, sero-prevalence testing, farmer and staff training, vehicles and related recurrent costs.
The Central Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI) will develop a commercially viable Theileria parva stabilate production program, under Good Management Practice (GMP) conditions, to OIE standards and registered with Zambia Medicines Regulations Authority (ZAMRA), capable of meeting domestic demand.
The programme will finance the procurement of laboratory and veterinary equipment and materials used in T. parva stabilate production including laboratory and experimental animal housing infrastructure, transportation and technical assistance. The recurrent costs for transport expenses, purchase of laboratory consumables, animals and animal feed, etc. will be covered through stabilate sale. After Programme year one, CVRI should be self-sufficient in stabillate production.
The disease control component will be supported by programmes to build community participation, train farmers, and MAL staff in animal disease control and enable staff participation in regional and international disease control fora. The programme will finance CBPP and ECF disease control specialists within the Programme Coordination Office (PCO) to support the DVS in the day-today management of this component.