Foot and Mouth Disease Response South Africa says urgent private-sector involvement is needed to speed up the procurement and distribution of vaccines amid the ongoing livestock outbreak.
The group is calling for support to secure and deliver 14 million vaccine doses required to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, warning that current government timelines may be too slow to prevent further damage to the agricultural sector.
Spokesperson Andrew Morphew said the plan to vaccinate 80% of cattle within a year is not fast enough, adding that administrative delays and centralised control are slowing progress.
“To stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, 80% of cattle must be vaccinated within an eight-week window,” Morphew said.
He added that only four million of the required 14 million vaccine doses have been secured so far.
“What we need is a coordinated vaccination campaign across the country over eight weeks, with the private sector supplying vaccines. If foot-and-mouth disease is not controlled, beef and dairy prices will rise,” he warned.
The group has cautioned that failure to act swiftly could lead to significant financial losses across the livestock and food supply industries, urging a more urgent and decentralised response to the outbreak.
VOC News
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