South africa: South Africa has initiated a large-scale importation of vaccines as part of an urgent national response to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral infection affecting cattle populations across the country. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen confirmed that substantial consignments of vaccines have been received over the past 48 hours, marking a critical phase in the government's expanded immunization strategy.
According to Oman News Agency, one million doses are scheduled to arrive this week, followed by an additional 1.5 million doses next week. Total imported vaccine volumes are expected to reach between three and five million by March, reflecting the scale of the government's emergency intervention.
The immunization drive aligns with a broader 12-month national plan announced last week by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who declared a state of concern over the outbreak and outlined efforts to vaccinate approximately 14 million cattle nationwide.
In a related development, neighboring Zambia has temporarily closed its border to livestock imports from South Africa as a precautionary measure to protect its own animal populations from cross-border transmission.
Foot-and-mouth disease poses a serious threat to livestock health and agricultural economies, often resulting in significant financial losses for farmers due to animal mortality and trade restrictions.
In a significant policy shift, South Africa has resumed domestic production of foot-and-mouth vaccines for the first time since 2005, reinforcing national capacity to respond proactively to future outbreaks and reduce dependency on foreign supply chains.