EXPERIENCE AND SCALING UP ECF IMMUNIZATION
DELIVERY IN TANZANIA
Oceanic Bay Hotel, Bagamoyo.
September 29, 2015
By Alpha Veterinary Services

INTRODUCTION
• Alpha Veterinary Services (AVS) was established in
1996 in Arusha.
• Core roles
– Sale of animal health products and equipment
– Diagnosis and treatment of sick animals
– Vaccination work in livestock
– Establish and delivery of artificial insemination services
– Establishment and delivery of ECF immunization services
– Receiving local and international students and support
them in field practical attachments
– Attach livestock field staff to dairy farms in USA

VACCINE SOURCES
• Worked with
– ITTBD Control project
– VETAGRO
– RONHEAM

ECF IMMUNIZATION EXPERIENCE
• Immunizing cattle for 16 years
• First immunization started in December, 1998 in Arusha
municipality and Arumeru district
• Districts covered: Arusha, Arumeru, Kilosa, Moshi, Hai, Monduli,
Simanjiro, Ngorongoro, Karatu, Rombo and Longido.
• Strategy
– Awareness creation in ECF problematic areas
– Need to address the
– Herd health programs whereby some farms and ranches were
recruited into the program
– Writing sound proposal for mass ECF immunization in pastoral areas
through funded projects from various NGOs, parastotals and other
government institutions

EXPERINCE Cont….
• Projects implemented in pastoral
areas/districts
– Oxfarm GB in Ngorongoro district
– Vetaid UK Tanzania branch in Simanjiro district
– Ngorongoro Pastoralist Project (ERETO) in
Ngorongoro
– World Vision Tanzania in Longido district
– Ilramatak project in Simanjiro district
– Heifer project International Tanzania branch

Other non project programs
• Individual farmers and farms were sensitized and
serviced.
– Tanganyika Plantation Company (TPC) for sugar
production in Moshi
– Dairy farmers around Mount Meru, Hai, Moshi and
Rombo
– Maasai communities in Monduli, Longido,
Ngorongoro, Simanjiro and in Kilosa Morogoro region
– Prison farms in Arusha
– West Kilimanjaro Dairy Farms
– Manyara ranch

CHALLENGES
• Challenges:
– Difficult in retaining staff
– Trust and failure to see the bigger picture
– Timely availability of vaccine, liquid nitrogen and
Containers
– Farmers mind set (irrational/rational,
– free services vs market prices
– Awareness creatioin naïve areas is expensive
(demonstration, media, meetings)

LESSON LEARNT
• Awareness creation can make a good uptake
of ITM
• Need to assist farmers to see advantages of
the vaccine
• Farmers sales if sure calves survives
• ITM is good business

NEW STRATEGY
• Improve geographical coverage
• Partnership with other veterinarians in other zones of
Tanzania
• Registered new animal health delivery company known
as Pharmavacs Ltd.
• Establishment of cold chain facilities in various zones
• Carry out baseline studies in new zone
• Combine ECF immunization with other necessary
animal health products such as PPR/SGP vaccines
delivery, AI services, Newcastle disease control in agro-
pastoral areas of lake zones

NEW STRATEGY Cont….
• Application for Local Technical Representation
(LTR) for various pharmaceutical companies
• Build partnership with local sub distributors in
various districts
• Build capacity of local sub distributors
• Ensure ethical conduct and every partner
along the supply chain is earning a convincing
margin to make the business commercial
viable and sustainable

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING