Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has emphasized the need for developing cattle vaccines locally, urging authorities to raise awareness about Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) among farmers.
“Priority should be given to producing cattle vaccines domestically so that, after meeting local demand, they can be exported,” she said.
She made these remarks at the LSD vaccine seed handover ceremony held at a city hotel, according to a ministry press release.
The event was organized under the "Zoonosis and Transboundary Animal Diseases Prevention and Control Research Project," implemented by the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI).
Highlighting LSD as a transboundary animal disease that impacts both livestock and people, Farida Akhter urged researchers to develop an effective vaccine against it.
She stressed the urgency of assessing the extent of damage caused by LSD to livestock and called for strengthening research facilities and laboratories.
She said that climate change has increased the risk of diseases, and the government is ready to support scientists in tackling these challenges.
The adviser also directed livestock officials to enhance awareness efforts and assess any potential risks to humans from consuming infected beef.
The event was presided over by BLRI Director General Dr Shakila Faruque and attended by key officials, including Department of Livestock (DLS) Director General Dr Md Abu Sufiun, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Amena Begum, and senior officials from BLRI and DLS.
BLRI Additional Director Dr ABM Mustanur Rahman delivered the welcome address, while BLRI Chief Scientific Officer Dr Muhammad Abdus Samad presented a keynote speech on the LSD vaccine.
Experts such as Professor Dr Md Bahanur Rahman, Dean of the Veterinary Faculty at Bangladesh Agricultural University, and Professor Dr Nitish Chandra Debnath, Chief of Party for Bangladesh Systems Strengthening for One Health, also participated in discussions.
At the event, Adviser Farida Akhter formally handed over the BLRI-developed LSD vaccine to the Department of Livestock for commercial production and farm-level distribution.
A bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed, along with the unveiling of the vaccine production manual.
