19th December 2023, the Sierra Leone Red Cross Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Program (CP3) launched a vaccination campaign in Kambia and Kailahun. The campaign aims to protect ruminant animals such as goats and sheep from the highly contagious Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) disease, which poses a significant threat to the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and the environment.
The symbolic vaccination exercise began at the Mambolo community centre in Mambolo Chiefdom, Kambia district. Esteemed guests, including the Human Resource and Administration Director of the Sierra Leone Red Cross, Mr Saidu Bamayange Director of the Livestock Division, Mr Ahmed Foday Samba Regional Lab Manager of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Makeni, Mr Saidu Rashid Thullah One Health Coordinator Kambia, Pa Alhaji Abdulrahman Sesay Chiefdom Speaker Mambolo, and other local district and community authorities attended the event.
The CP3 Program, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is implemented by the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society and aims to strengthen the capacity of riverine and border communities in Kambia and Kailahun to prevent, detect and swiftly respond to disease threats, while preparing for future risks. Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Program, the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society has increased awareness on the connections between animal, human, and environmental health by actively engaging communities with key messages and community-based volunteer-led surveillance.