By East African Gazette
Entebbe
Uganda has been provided with a shipment of three million vaccine doses from Egypt in order to enhance the efforts in combating Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) that has affected the cattle corridor.
The vaccines were handed over at Entebbe International Airport, to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of the Defense Forces.
It was handed over by the Egyptian Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Eng. Mustafa Al-Sayyad, in the presence of Frank Tumwebaze, the minister of Agriculture, and other ministry officials.
The recent outbreak of FMD in Uganda has led to the Ministry of Agriculture imposing a quarantine on 32 districts.
This has caused concern and unrest in the cattle corridor, which heavily relies on milk and beef production. Millions of Ugandans depend on livestock for their livelihoods.
The acquisition of vaccines at a subsidized cost is a significant milestone as it marks the first time such a large number of vaccine doses has been delivered to Uganda since the outbreak of FMD.
The affected districts, including Luwero, Gomba, Isingiro, Kazo, Kiruhura, and Sembabule, have reported numerous cases of FMD within their herds.
The ministry has enforced a restriction on the transportation of livestock and livestock-related items in, out, or through these areas in order to contain the disease.
The estimated susceptible animal population in Uganda, which needs to be vaccinated against FMD, stands at 44 million.
Tumwebaze informed Parliament earlier this year that the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) is currently working on the development of vaccines as a long-lasting solution to the problem.
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