Delivering an update on the country's response to the FMD outbreak on Monday, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen said nearly 4.4 million animals had already been vaccinated by 28 May.
Image: GCIS
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has said that South Africa is undertaking the largest Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination programme in its history, with 13.5 million vaccine doses procured since February and a further 14 million doses approved for import.
Delivering an update on the country's response to the FMD outbreak on Monday, Steenhuisen said nearly 4.4 million animals had already been vaccinated by 28 May as government intensifies efforts to contain the disease and protect the livestock sector.
“This is the largest vaccine acquisition programme ever undertaken by the South African state,” he said.
Steenhuisen announced that 3.5 million doses of the Biogenesis Bago vaccine arrived in South Africa last week, significantly boosting vaccination efforts in affected and high-risk areas. The doses will be distributed among industry stakeholders, provincial governments and border vaccination programmes.
He also confirmed that the first shipment of four million doses of the Dollvet vaccine is expected to arrive this month after the vaccine received approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). In total, 14 million Dollvet doses have been approved for import.
“This vaccine pipeline will ensure that we are able to deliver the required booster vaccinations,” he said.
“To date, the government has already spent R494 million on vaccine procurement and deployment. We have carried the financial burden of this intervention because the cost of inaction would have been far greater.”
KwaZulu-Natal remains the epicentre of the vaccination campaign, with more than 1.1 million animals vaccinated. Other provinces have also recorded significant progress, including the Eastern Cape with more than 720,000 vaccinations and the Free State with over 600,000.
Steenhuisen said the outbreak has highlighted the need for regional cooperation in combating animal diseases. He welcomed a decision by Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers meeting in Zimbabwe to prioritise the development of a regional coordination framework for FMD control
He also stressed the importance of maintaining export markets during the outbreak. He said key markets, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Kuwait, remain open to South African livestock products under agreed conditions, while discussions with Qatar are progressing positively.
“Disease control and market access must go hand in hand. There is little value in restoring production if producers cannot access markets,” he said.
“We have therefore engaged extensively with trading partners to maintain confidence in South Africa's animal health systems and to secure practical solutions that allow trade to continue wherever possible under appropriate risk-management measures.”
Steenhuisen said a recent Gauteng High Court ruling allowing the private sector to procure and administer vaccines would further strengthen public-private cooperation in the fight against FMD.
“Long before the judgment, we had already established close partnerships with producers, veterinarians, feedlots, processors and commodity organisations to support government’s response to the crisis while maintaining the integrity of South Africa's animal health system as well as our international standing with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH),” he said.
Steenhuisen also said that their focus remains getting vaccines into animals, controlling the disease, reopening markets and protecting livelihoods.
“The judgment provides additional certainty and momentum to accelerate the work that was already underway. It allows us to deepen public-private cooperation with even greater confidence.”
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