Museveni calls for production of more FMD vaccines

“You should make more vaccines, because Uganda has a lot of livestock. Uganda has 44 million livestock,” Museveni requested the Egyptian government.

Museveni who was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, made the remarks recently while meeting a delegation from the government of Egypt at his Kisozi farm in Gomba district.

He said apart from the 16mln cows, there are goats, pigs, among other domestic animals; which brings the number of livestock in the country to 44mln and all of them require to be vaccinated.

President Museveni also welcomed the partnership between the Egyptian and Ugandan governments through the National Agricultural Research Organisation [NARO], saying that when they partner, research and the whole process will be faster, hence producing good results.

The Egyptian government gave 10mln doses of FMD to Uganda at a subsidised price of US$ 90 cents [about Shs 3,420]. The first consignment of 3mln doses has been delivered so far, 3mln doses will be delivered in three weeks. This was revealed by Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

Tumwebaze noted that this FMD vaccine from Egypt is the biggest consignment Uganda has received so far.

He also said that the Government is going to partner with NARO to build a factory in Uganda and to train Ugandans to use the country’s samples to get the fourth strain, take it to their laboratory for matching and they do complete mixing to get quadrivalent.

Gen. Mohsen Azouz, Director Veterinary Service Department-Egypt, assured the President that the rest of the doses will be dispatched on time and the Egyptian government is committed to the partnership between Uganda and Egypt.

Dr. Anna Rose Okurut Ademun, Commissioner Animal Health in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF], said that the Ugandan and Egypt Governments will partner together to develop Serotype SAT 1 from a field strain of Uganda to a vaccine strain to make a fourth strain. She explained that the vaccine has four Serotypes mainly, Serotype“O”, Serotype “A”, SAT 1 and  SAT 2.

The meeting was also attended by Bright Rwamirama, the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Maj. Gen. David Kyomukama Kasura, Permanent Secretary MAAIF and Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces.

FMD severely affects the productivity of livestock, disrupting regional and international trade  in animals and animal products. The most significant impact of the disease in low and middle-income countries is losses in production, utility and income, which together affect livelihoods and impact food security and nutrition of farmers.

https://thecooperator.news/livestock-farmers-to-pay-for-fmd-vaccines/