On a visit to a vaccination programme in Kalakan district in Kabul Province, I met many farmers who were happy and grateful that their animals were being vaccinated.

Many Afghans today, including those in the villages, now understand that there are diseases that can pass from animals to humans and the best way to prevent it is to vaccinate the animals. One of the farmers told me, “In the past we used not to care about the animals because we thought it did not matter.

If an animal fell sick, we would slaughter it and buy a new one. But now we understand the value of animal health and vaccinations.

We vaccinate our animals and by taking care of them, we ensure our good health too.” Afghanistan’s economy is highly dependent on animal husbandry and this makes the population susceptible to a host of animal-borne infections.

Additionally, the country is a large importer for livestock products, and it is significantly important to improve the Afghan livestock sector.