Lumpy Skin Disease vaccine launched
Workers at a cattle pen in Karachi show the animals infected by Lumpy Skin Disease that have been quarantined in a separate enclosure to prevent the spread of the disease. Photo: Express
Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, inaugurated the lumpy skin disease vaccine at the Veterinary Research Institute Lahore (VRIL) on Friday.
Joining him were Secretary Livestock Punjab Masood Anwar, Director General (Research) Dr Sajjad Hussain, and DG Livestock (Extension) Asif Salman Sahi.
Addressing the gathering, Ashiq Kirmani praised the Livestock Department and Veterinary Research Institute teams for their efforts in developing the vaccine, highlighting the significant role of the livestock sector in the country’s economy.
He announced the government’s plan to provide loans on easy installments to 40,000 farmers in rural Punjab for dairy farming through livestock cards. Additionally, he mentioned Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s approval of disease control and traceability programs, benefiting 1.5 lakh livestock farmers and 12 lakh animals.
Secretary Livestock Punjab Masood Anwar emphasized the challenges of vaccine development and highlighted the department’s internal surveillance and counter-check system for disease surveillance.
He underlined the department’s commitment to improving vaccine quality and implementing a quality assurance mechanism, aligning with the motto “prevention is better than cure.”
Following the inauguration, the agriculture minister presented shields and awards to outstanding doctors in the institute’s research department.
He also inspected the institute’s cold chain supply system and participated in a tree planting activity.