DUSHANBE, 8 September, 2008, Asia-Plus – The Delegation of the European Commission (EC) to Tajikistan in cooperation with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations have started a project to improve live conditions of inhabitants of the Khatlon province by prevention of brucellosis disease and reducing its impact on humans and livestock, press release issued by the EC Delegation to Tajikistan said.
Brucellosis is a preventable bacterial disease that threatens the health of small ruminants and whose incidence in Tajikistan has been on the rise since the early 1990s. The disease is transmittable from animals to humans. As the poverty level is significantly higher in the rural areas and its population deals mostly with raising cattle, targeting the health of livestock is an effective way to reduce poverty in these regions.
Broad cross-sectorial activities will be used to prevent brucellosis, including biannual vaccinations of the cattle, wide awareness campaigns, assistance to the quality of healthcare as well as development of the governments” capacities to control this infectious disease. Both Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health of Tajikistan will directly benefit from the extensive capacity building under the project.
The initiative is a part of the European Commission’s increasing support to economic development and wellbeing in Tajikistan. Partnership with FAO and WHO, the leading agencies in poverty alleviation and promotion of effective healthcare, gives the project a unique approach as the combined efforts simultaneously tackle the animal and human side of a dangerous disease.
The project will last for 19 months with the total EU contribution of €1,042,413.
