Northern Barh El Ghazal receives testing equipment to curb deadly livestock disease

AWEIL – Officials from the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State have received a new consignment of livestock disease-testing equipment aimed at improving the detection and management of recurring animal outbreaks in the region.

The equipment, donated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), arrived on Tuesday. The Ministry’s Director General for Animal Resources confirmed the delivery, describing it as a major boost to the state’s veterinary response capacity.

“We have received the equipment from FAO, and it is a great pleasure to finally have the tools needed to manage outbreaks. They will be tested early next week and immediately deployed for use,” he said.

According to the Director General, nine technical staff have already been trained to operate the machines, which will be used to diagnose emergency diseases that have been killing livestock at alarming rates.

He added that the new equipment will significantly reduce delays in confirming disease cases. Previously, samples had to be transported to Juba for laboratory analysis—a process that often slowed response efforts and worsened animal losses.

“Outbreaks like anthrax and tuberculosis have been killing our domestic animals, and veterinarians struggled to contain them because the real diagnosis could not be quickly determined. This equipment will change that,” he noted.

Northern Bahr el Ghazal has been battling multiple disease outbreaks in recent years, including foot-and-mouth disease, which has affected cattle, goats, and other livestock.

These outbreaks have imposed heavy financial burdens on pastoralists, many of whom have paid substantial sums for treatments and vaccinations, despite health workers being instructed to offer free immunisation services.