Scaling up accessibility and use of livestock vaccines in the pastoral areas of Ethiopia

Vaccine production and delivery in Ethiopia are primarily provided by the government via free or subsidized vaccines. Non-profitable value chains and distorted market forces discourage private sector involvement. Vaccines can also be difficult to access because of insufficient numbers of veterinary services and delivery personnel in rural areas, weak distribution systems, and poor cold chain facilities. The situation has undermined the timeliness and uptake of vaccination programs for rural smallholder livestock farmers.

There is growing evidence that private sector participation in the animal health sector increases service and delivery efficiency, improving livestock health and ultimately the livelihoods of those who depend on them for income, food, transport, cultural, or other uses. In Ethiopia, nearly 80% of pastoralists are dissatisfied with the current veterinary system due to lack of vaccine availability and quality. However, incentivizing the private sector in rural settings is challenging because markets and infrastructure are generally underdeveloped and financial viability for small businesses is tenuous.

This project will address these challenges by testing a novel public-private partnership vaccine delivery model in Ethiopia. The project will focus on the contagious caprine pleuropneumonia vaccine and other veterinary products for smallholder goat farmers. If successful, the model could be scaled up across different ecological zones and for various livestock diseases, contributing to more cost-effective and efficient livestock vaccination and input supply programs. Ultimately, the project will contribute to improved food security and livelihoods by improving the health of goats, which are key productive assets for rural households.

This project is supported through the Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund, a partnership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Affairs Canada, and IDRC. The Fund represents a joint investment of CA$57 million over five years to support the development, production, and commercialization of innovative vaccines against priority livestock diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.