Alpha Veterinary Services has been providing ECF immunization in Tanzania for 16 years, covering 11 districts. Their strategies have included awareness creation, herd health programs, and proposals for mass immunization. They have implemented projects with various NGOs and organizations in pastoral areas. Challenges have included staff retention, farmers' mindsets, and timely vaccine availability. Lessons learned are that awareness creation improves uptake and farmers will vaccinate if calf survival is ensured. The new strategy involves expanding geographical coverage through partnerships, establishing cold chain facilities, and combining ECF immunization with other animal health services to make the business commercially viable and sustainable.

1. EXPERIENCE AND SCALING UP ECF IMMUNIZATION
DELIVERY IN TANZANIA
Oceanic Bay Hotel, Bagamoyo.
September 29, 2015
By Alpha Veterinary Services

2. INTRODUCTION
• Alpha Veterinary Services (AVS) was established in
1996 in Arusha.
• Core roles
– Sale of animal health products and equipment
– Diagnosis and treatment of sick animals
– Vaccination work in livestock
– Establish and delivery of artificial insemination services
– Establishment and delivery of ECF immunization services
– Receiving local and international students and support
them in field practical attachments
– Attach livestock field staff to dairy farms in USA

3. VACCINE SOURCES
• Worked with
– ITTBD Control project
– VETAGRO
– RONHEAM

4. ECF IMMUNIZATION EXPERIENCE
• Immunizing cattle for 16 years
• First immunization started in December, 1998 in Arusha
municipality and Arumeru district
• Districts covered: Arusha, Arumeru, Kilosa, Moshi, Hai, Monduli,
Simanjiro, Ngorongoro, Karatu, Rombo and Longido.
• Strategy
– Awareness creation in ECF problematic areas
– Need to address the
– Herd health programs whereby some farms and ranches were
recruited into the program
– Writing sound proposal for mass ECF immunization in pastoral areas
through funded projects from various NGOs, parastotals and other
government institutions

5. EXPERINCE Cont….
• Projects implemented in pastoral
areas/districts
– Oxfarm GB in Ngorongoro district
– Vetaid UK Tanzania branch in Simanjiro district
– Ngorongoro Pastoralist Project (ERETO) in
Ngorongoro
– World Vision Tanzania in Longido district
– Ilramatak project in Simanjiro district
– Heifer project International Tanzania branch

6. Other non project programs
• Individual farmers and farms were sensitized and
serviced.
– Tanganyika Plantation Company (TPC) for sugar
production in Moshi
– Dairy farmers around Mount Meru, Hai, Moshi and
Rombo
– Maasai communities in Monduli, Longido,
Ngorongoro, Simanjiro and in Kilosa Morogoro region
– Prison farms in Arusha
– West Kilimanjaro Dairy Farms
– Manyara ranch

7. CHALLENGES
• Challenges:
– Difficult in retaining staff
– Trust and failure to see the bigger picture
– Timely availability of vaccine, liquid nitrogen and
Containers
– Farmers mind set (irrational/rational,
– free services vs market prices
– Awareness creatioin naïve areas is expensive
(demonstration, media, meetings)

8. LESSON LEARNT
• Awareness creation can make a good uptake
of ITM
• Need to assist farmers to see advantages of
the vaccine
• Farmers sales if sure calves survives
• ITM is good business

9. NEW STRATEGY
• Improve geographical coverage
• Partnership with other veterinarians in other zones of
Tanzania
• Registered new animal health delivery company known
as Pharmavacs Ltd.
• Establishment of cold chain facilities in various zones
• Carry out baseline studies in new zone
• Combine ECF immunization with other necessary
animal health products such as PPR/SGP vaccines
delivery, AI services, Newcastle disease control in agro-
pastoral areas of lake zones

10. NEW STRATEGY Cont….
• Application for Local Technical Representation
(LTR) for various pharmaceutical companies
• Build partnership with local sub distributors in
various districts
• Build capacity of local sub distributors
• Ensure ethical conduct and every partner
along the supply chain is earning a convincing
margin to make the business commercial
viable and sustainable

11. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING