Govt imposes compulsory FMD vaccination
A veterinary officer vaccinates a cow. PHOTO/NMG
What you need to know:
- Mr Tumwebaze informed Parliament that his ministry reallocated funds from its development budget and managed to avail 2.56 million vaccine doses to veterinary officers of 94 districts last year.
The government has announced compulsory vaccination of all animals in districts that have been hit by the contagious Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
The compulsory vaccination will also extend to districts that are at high risk of being affected by the disease, according to Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Maaif).
Mr Tumwebaze, in a February 5 statement, said Cabinet, which was chaired by President Museveni, on the same day, approved the FMD control and eradication strategy he presented.
“Cabinet approved immediate sourcing of 10 million doses of FMD vaccine to enable scaling up of ring vaccination in the affected and neighbouring districts at high risk,” reads part of the statement.
A total of 36 districts have been affected by FMD, according to Mr Tumwebaze. They include Budaka, Bukedea, Gomba, Ibanda, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kayunga, Kibuku, Lwengo, Rakai, Rwampara and Sembabule.
The Cabinet, according to Mr Tumwebaze, also banned the sale of unvaccinated animals in the affected areas.
During the February 5 Cabinet meeting, the Agricultural minister presented a strategy with measures including, among others, ring vaccination around the affected areas, animal movement control, closure of livestock markets and institution of quarantine measures, to eradicate the FMD in the country.
He had on February 1, told Parliament that a bi-annual compulsory vaccination of the entire susceptible animal herd in the country (all two hoofed animals including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, to eliminate the deadly disease.
Uganda, he noted needs 88 million doses of FMD vaccines to carry out a bi-annual vaccination where each dose costs $2 (Shs7,600), which translates to about $176m (Shs673.4b) to conduct the vaccination exercise twice a year.
Before Cabinet approval, Mr Tumwebaze informed Parliament that his ministry reallocated funds from its development budget and managed to avail 2.56 million vaccine doses to veterinary officers of 94 districts last year.
Asked when the mandatory vaccination exercise would begin, the ministry’s public relations manager, Ms Charlotte Kemigyisha, yesterday said it would depend on the duration of the procurement process.
