President Museveni Urges Egyptian Govt for Increased FMD Vaccine Production

The President, accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, urged the Egyptian government to ramp up vaccine production, acknowledging Uganda's substantial livestock population.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has emphasized the need for increased production of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine doses to combat the highly contagious viral infection affecting livestock in Uganda. During a meeting with a delegation from the Egyptian government at his Kisozi farm in Gomba District, President Museveni highlighted the necessity of vaccinating Uganda's 44 million livestock, including 16 million cows, as well as goats, pigs, and other domestic animals.

The President, accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, urged the Egyptian government to ramp up vaccine production, acknowledging Uganda's substantial livestock population. He expressed his support for the partnership between the Egyptian and Ugandan governments through the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), emphasizing that collaboration will accelerate research and production processes, leading to effective outcomes.

Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, announced that Egypt has provided Uganda with 10 million doses of the FMD vaccine at a subsidized price of 0.9 USD per dose. The first batch of 3 million doses has already been delivered, with an additional 3 million doses expected within three weeks. Tumwebaze highlighted that this is the largest FMD vaccine consignment Uganda has received to date. He also mentioned plans to establish a vaccine production facility in Uganda in partnership with NARO, aimed at developing a quadrivalent vaccine using Uganda's samples for strain matching.

Gen. Mohsen Azouz, Director of the Veterinary Service Department in Egypt, assured President Museveni that the remaining vaccine doses would be dispatched promptly, reaffirming Egypt's commitment to the partnership.

Dr. Anna Rose Okurut Ademun, Commissioner of Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, explained that the collaboration between Uganda and Egypt will focus on developing a vaccine strain for Serotype SAT 1 from Ugandan field strains, adding to the existing vaccine's four serotypes: "O," "A," SAT 1, and SAT 2.

The meeting also included Hon. Bright Rwamirama, the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Maj. Gen. David Kyomukama Kasura, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, and Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces.