CAPE TOWN, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Department of Agriculture has announced a comprehensive strategy to vaccinate its entire livestock to combat one of the most severe outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) the country has faced in decades.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday, despite the vaccination of 931,200 animals with government-procured vaccine stocks over the last three months, uncontrolled animal movement continues to undermine containment efforts and prolongs the crisis.
The KwaZulu-Natal Province remains the epicenter of FMD, with 180 of the 274 unresolved outbreaks reported nationally.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen noted that, in response to the outbreaks, the department has resolved to implement a comprehensive strategy to vaccinate the entire national herd, starting with the hardest hit provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and North West.
"This plan, however, will rely on a consistent, high-quality vaccine supply," he said.
The minister said the government is working closely with the Onderstepoort Biological Products, a state-owned animal vaccine manufacturing company, and the Agricultural Research Council on the formalization of public-private partnerships with domestic industry and international partners, including China and Argentina, who have already offered technical cooperation and support regarding vaccine provision. ■
