DVIDS – News – CJTF

A team of military personnel jumps out of the car with containers full of needles, medicine, gloves and various veterinary supplies. They set up shop in the center of the village and open the collapsible iron fence in preparation for the incoming herds.

The spectacle, which took two years of planning, was created when members of Joint Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and civil affairs personnel from Task Force Southern Europe and Africa (SETAF-AF) teamed up to provided support to villagers and residents. Veterinarians provide treatment to livestock in the villages of Negad, Shaberi and Ali Une. Herd Health Vaccination Engagement (HHVE) provides PPR (Peste des Pestits Ruminants) vaccinations, dewormers, vitamins, wound sprays and general medical care to various Djiboutian herd animals such as camels, goats, sheep and donkeys. The purpose is that.

PPR virus, also known as goat plague, is a highly contagious viral disease found in goats and sheep across large areas of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Vaccines injected into livestock are effective in preventing the spread of the PPR virus, which can kill 30-70% of affected herds on the continent.

SETAF-AF HHVE Veterinarian Officer Lt. Col. Erica Himes led a small team of volunteer veterinarians from January 29 to January 31, 2024.

“With our vaccination efforts, we are getting closer to seeing 1,000 animals every day,” Himes said. “The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization want to eliminate PPR disease by 2030, so this vaccination campaign is very important if we want to help these animals,” Himes said. Ta.

Each day, military personnel corralled the animals into pens, vaccinated each animal, gave it vitamins, and marked it with non-toxic paint markers to track vaccinated animals. Once all animals in the collapsible enclosure have been treated and marked, use a wound spray formulation to treat any cuts or injuries the animal may have sustained before clearing the enclosure and moving on to the next Restart the process with the herd.

After visiting each village each day, the number of CJTF-HOA volunteers increased. Members from various departments volunteered their time to assist with herd health efforts and support the local community.

Dr. Elmi Ali Ahmed, a local Djiboutian veterinarian at the Ministry of Agriculture, worked with the military personnel and expressed gratitude for the U.S. military's contribution to the vaccination effort. Through an interpreter, he explained the importance of vaccinations and medical care provided by the United States in keeping livestock healthy during Djibouti's cool season.

“Together, we accomplished something very important. The people here are grateful for the assistance the U.S. military has provided us, and our work is helping keep animals healthy. , will help our community grow,” Dr. Elmi said.

U.S. Army Col. Jermell Richmond, SETAF-AF civil HHVE program director, coordinated the event with the Djibouti Ministry of Agriculture and worked with military personnel to ensure their mission benefits local populations and fosters cooperation between the two countries. We have worked hard to ensure that it functions to promote the project. Components and States. Richmond expressed gratitude for the expertise of both Himes and noncommissioned officer Sgt. When it comes to educating volunteers about proper veterinary procedures, Russell Helma said. The City of Richmond also expressed its gratitude to the surplus volunteers who signed on to assist with the project.

“Words cannot express how grateful we are to everyone who signed up to support the Civil Affairs Bureau and help local residents with this project,” Mr Richmond said. “A win is a win. Whether we inject one sheep or 1,000, it's all about doing everything we can to help local people and work with the host country,” Richmond said. Told.