Newcastle Disease Control in Chickens, Ethiopia

Summary

To protect chicken flocks of the rural poor, the project will train laboratory staff to produce and trial I-2 Newcastle disease vaccine, to assist Ethiopia in the sustainable production of vaccine.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

This project will benefit poor women and children in Ethiopian villages. Villagers depend on small flocks of scavenging chickens for income and food. Newcastle disease (ND), caused by a virus, is often fatal in unvaccinated chickens and can destroy entire village flocks. The Ethiopian government wants to produce the vaccine. Locally produced thermotolerant I-2 vaccine will protect chickens against ND and helps poor rural women and children by providing a chicken “bank” for use in lean times.

How will this project solve this problem?

Teach Gov’t Vet Lab to produce I-2 ND vaccine; Teach Gov’t Agricultural Extension staff and interested NGOs how to select and educate community vaccinators to vaccinate chickens; Work on building sustainable distribution mechanisms for the vaccine.

Potential Long Term Impact

Project Message

Scavenging chickens are the only disposable resource of most impoverished villagers. Our vaccine protects chickens and so has a positive impact on the lives of poor women and children.
- Professor Emeritus Peter Spradbrow, Vaccine developer, project technical adviser

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources