The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has reignited the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination campaign in the affected Districts across the Country.
In his letter dated 3rd February 2025 to Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), the Permanent Secretary of MAAIF, Maj. Gen. David Kasura-Kyomukama requested CAOs to ask veterinary officers to mobilize livestock that was originally vaccinated for revaccination.
He also requested District authorities to mobilize livestock farmers to prepare for mass vaccination and ensure they are sensitized about the absolutely critical need for the vaccination to enable the Country to export livestock products without issues on the international market.
“As you also know, effective vaccination against FMD can only be realized if it is done twice every year (every six months). Because of this, the vaccination of the animals started in January 2025. MAAIF has adequate stock of vaccines to carry out this revaccination and has also set aside Ugx200 (two hundred shillings) per dose, which will be advanced to the district veterinary officers to facilitate the vaccination,” the PS stated in the letter.
The Country has been in the grip of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease since the beginning of 2024 where it was reported in over 40 districts of Uganda. To respond to this outbreak, MAAIF presented a strategy to the Cabinet that included immediate, medium and long-term measures to wipe out the deadly disease from Uganda.
Uganda’s beef is in high demand in the global market because of its low cholesterol and fat content. In addition, the global increase inpopulation has further increased the demand for beef both locally and globally.
However, if not taken seriously, the Country may risk losing advantage of these market opportunities. One of the main reasons limiting access to lucrative foreign markets is the issue of transboundary diseases (TBDs) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in particular. The frequent occurrences of FMD outbreaks threaten the livestock industry and livestock product exports.
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