Madar (Nouakchott) - Mauritania's Minister of Livestock Development on Thursday, 12 November 2026, launched the 2026-2027 national livestock vaccination campaign from the village of Chinguetti in Bouhdida commune (Aleg department, Brakna region), under the slogan "Yes to protecting our livestock", according to the Mauritanian News Agency (AMI).
The minister said the campaign aims to vaccinate 10 million sheep and goats against peste des petits ruminants and 3.5 million cattle against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, and to provide vaccines against other diseases that are a priority for herders.
He said the sector has mobilised 66 veterinary teams deployed across the country's regions, alongside an awareness and follow-up campaign run with stakeholders in the field.
The minister urged herders to cooperate with the veterinary teams and follow their guidance, stressing the need to mark animals vaccinated against peste des petits ruminants so that vaccination operations can be tracked and efforts against the disease sustained.
He noted that the 2024 census put the country's livestock at nearly 30 million head of all species, and that the sector accounts for about 10% of gross domestic product, around 68% of the rural economy and more than 60% of rural jobs.
The minister thanked technical and financial partners, led by the World Bank, for supporting the campaign.
The president of the Brakna region praised the sector's support for herders, describing the protection of livestock as "a collective responsibility", while the mayor of Bouhdida and representatives of herders' and pastoral organisations stressed the campaign's importance, the agency said.
The launch was attended by Brakna's deputy governor, the Prime Minister's adviser for livestock and agriculture, the prefect of Aleg and the regional delegate of the Ministry of Livestock Development.
