President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the production of more Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine doses to combat the contagious viral infection affecting livestock.
“You should make more vaccines, because Uganda has a lot of livestock. Uganda has 44 million livestock,” President Museveni stated in his request to the Egyptian government.
Accompanied by First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, the President made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Egyptian government at his Kisozi farm in Gomba District. He highlighted that Uganda’s livestock includes 16 million cows, as well as goats, pigs, and other domestic animals, totaling 44 million, all of which need vaccination.
President Museveni also welcomed the partnership between the Egyptian and Ugandan governments through the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), noting that this collaboration will expedite research and production, leading to better outcomes.
The Egyptian government has provided Uganda with 10 million doses of the FMD vaccine at a subsidized price of $0.90 per dose. Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, revealed that the first consignment of 3 million doses has been delivered, with another 3 million doses expected in three weeks. This consignment is the largest FMD vaccine delivery Uganda has received to date.
Hon. Tumwebaze also announced plans to partner with NARO to build a vaccine manufacturing plant in Uganda and train local scientists to use domestic samples to develop a quadrivalent vaccine, including the fourth strain.
Gen. Mohsen Azouz, Director of the Veterinary Service Department in Egypt, assured President Museveni that the remaining doses will be dispatched on time, emphasizing Egypt’s commitment to the partnership.
Dr. Anna Rose Okurut Ademun, Commissioner for Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, explained that the Ugandan and Egyptian governments will collaborate to develop the SAT 1 serotype from a Ugandan field strain into a vaccine strain, completing the four serotypes necessary for the FMD vaccine: Serotype “O,” Serotype “A,” SAT 1, and SAT 2.
The meeting was also attended by Hon. Bright Rwamirama, Minister of State for Animal Industry, Maj. Gen. David Kyomukama Kasura, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces.
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