Tanzania launches major livestock vaccination drive to protect rural livelihoods

As climate pressures reshape disease patterns across East Africa, Tanzania is betting on a mass livestock vaccination drive to bolster rural resilience. Veterinary teams are fanning out across the country’s remote highlands as the government intensifies a national campaign to curb livestock diseases and safeguard farmers’ livelihoods.

Leaning on a walking stick, Oscar Mndeme watches as a veterinary officer uncaps a small glass vial and draws out a precise dose of vaccine. With a swift jab, the needle pierces the thick hide of one of his cows.

For the 57-year-old herder in Mlenge village, that injection is a lifeline for the animals grazing under a baobab tree nearby. “It only takes one shot to protect my cows, and that gives me peace of mind,” he said. 

Across Pawaga ward in Tanzania’s southern highlands, livestock keepers depend heavily on their animals for food, income and security. As veterinary teams move between homesteads, farmers queue patiently with their animals, the smell of antiseptic hanging in the air.

“I have buried many cows because of diseases,” said Mndeme. “I believe this vaccine will prevent them and keep my herd healthy.”

Nationwide campaign

The nationwide vaccination drive targets transboundary and zoonotic diseases that have long undermined rural livelihoods. Running through to 2029, the programme aims to vaccinate 19 million cattle, 17 million goats and sheep, and 40 million chickens. It also introduces official identification ear tags to improve traceability and align with export standards.

“We want to reduce livestock mortality by half within the next five years,” said Agnes Meena, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development.

Rapid field response is crucial, according to Meena. “We need trained first responders who can act immediately during outbreaks. Strengthening the capacity of veterinary staff is central to this campaign.”

Why vaccination matters

Tanzania has one of the largest livestock populations in Africa — 36.6 million cattle, second only to Ethiopia, along with millions of small ruminants, chickens and pigs. The sector is vital: agriculture contributes 30 per cent of GDP and supports 70 per cent of the rural population.

But recurring outbreaks of diseases such as anthrax, Rift Valley Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) continue to devastate herds and restrict exports.

“Vaccination is a preventive investment,” said Erick Komba, Director General of the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI). “Our research shows that every shilling spent on vaccination saves farmers almost five times that amount in treatment costs and lost production.”

Beyond livestock losses, zoonotic diseases pose a public-health threat. “Timely vaccination breaks that cycle and builds resilience,” said Komba.

TALIRI is now working with the government to improve disease surveillance, expand vaccine access and strengthen cold-chain systems. Regional laboratories and vaccination points are being set up in remote pastoral areas.

“The goal is to make vaccination routine — not a reaction to disaster,” Komba said. “Healthy animals grow faster, produce more milk and fetch better prices. Vaccination directly boosts incomes.”

Field visits prove this. In Mlowa village, pastoralist Christina Nkwabi recalled losing “at least 40 calves every year” to tick-borne diseases before vaccination became more widespread.

“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “Now my cows are stronger and give more milk. I didn’t believe in vaccines before — I thought they were unnecessary or dangerous — but seeing the difference has changed everything.”

Timing and logistics, and tackling mistrust

Veterinarians say the timing of vaccination is key. “The best time is before the rainy season, when disease transmission peaks,” said Raymond Mushi, a veterinary officer in Pawaga. “Foot and Mouth vaccinations should be given every six months, while East Coast Fever must be tackled early in a calf’s life.”

Maintaining cold-chain conditions remains one of the biggest challenges. Many remote regions lack electricity, forcing veterinarians to carry vaccine cool boxes through rough terrain.

“If vaccines warm up, they lose effectiveness,” Mushi explained. “So we move quickly and carefully.”

Proper handling on the farm is equally important. “Animals must be calm and well restrained. You cannot vaccinate dirty animals with dirty hands and expect good results,” he added.

Myths and misconceptions persist in some areas, where herders fear vaccines may weaken or sterilise animals.

“When I first arrived, people refused to let us vaccinate their cows,” Mushi said. “They thought we were injecting poison. We had to hold community meetings to explain how vaccines work.”

Public education through village meetings, local radio and farmer field schools has helped shift attitudes. “We tell relatable stories,” he said. “One lost cow can mean no school fees for a child.”

Trust has grown as results become visible. “When people see neighbours’ cattle surviving disease outbreaks, they begin to believe,” Mushi said.

Climate pressures and future plans

The campaign is also part of Tanzania’s wider One Health approach, which recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health. Climate change is altering disease patterns, pushing vector-borne illnesses into new regions.

“We are seeing more tick-borne diseases in areas that never had them,” said Dr Grace Ngowi from Babati. “Vaccination helps us stay ahead.”

Experts warn that without proactive measures, pastoral communities could face worsening poverty and food insecurity as droughts intensify. “Resilient livestock mean resilient households,” said Ngowi.

In Manyara’s arid plains, mobile veterinary units now reach nomadic herders who were previously excluded from public services. Maasai elder Isacko Laizer, near Kiteto, said the shift is noticeable. “We used to chase after vets for help. Now they come to us. This time, we feel seen.”

For the government, livestock vaccination is central to ambitions to grow exports of beef, dairy products and hides.

“Healthy cattle mean healthy markets,” said Zulfa Kyando, an official at the Ministry of Livestock. “If our animals are disease-free, we can sell to Kenya, Zambia and even the Middle East.”

A new traceability and data-collection system is expected to help Tanzania meet international health requirements. “Our vision is to make Tanzania a major supplier of high-quality beef and dairy in Africa,” Kyando said.

As the sun sets over Pawaga, Oscar Mndeme counts his herd before leading them home. He remembers the years when disease outbreaks wiped out his animals and veterinary support was rare.

“Now things are changing,” he said. “We have knowledge, we have help — and we have hope.”

He glances across the plains as other farmers herd their vaccinated cattle. “When the cows are healthy,” he said quietly, “the people are happy.”