Cabinet approves purchase of 10 million doses of Foot and Mouth Disease doses

Cabinet has approved immediate sourcing of 10 million doses of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine to enable scaling up of ring vaccination in the affected and neighboring districts at high risk.

This was during the Cabinet sitting on Monday 5th February 2024 at State House -Entebbe under the Chairmanship of H.E the President, which discussed among other things, the strategy by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) to control and eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Uganda and made several decisions targeting the immediate/short, medium and long term.

According to Hon Frank Tumwebaze the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Cabinet also approved plans by government to create a revolving fund to enable procurement of sufficient FMD vaccines periodically in the Country to facilitate compulsory bi-annual vaccination of the susceptible domestic animal population.

Also approved, is a policy proposition that requires farmers to be paying for the vaccines while government pays for the cost of vaccine administration, transportation and storage.

The cabinet further resolved that when the revolving fund has been created and adequate vaccine stocks have started coming into the Country, vaccination of all susceptible domestic animals be made compulsory. Proof of vaccination will be a pre-condition for any farmer to sell any animal and/or animal products.

“I appeal to fellow livestock farmers and stakeholders to understand and appreciate these efforts as we steadily move to eradicate FMD in Uganda just like other animal diseases like rinderpest were eradicated,” said the Minister.