The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) has informed Parliament that the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has begun the process of creating and developing a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine in Uganda.

This was revealed by Frank K. Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, on Thursday, February 1, 2024, during the plenary session as he made a presentation of the statement on FMD in the cattle corridor and subsequent quarantine.

According to Tumwebaze, the scientists have developed two monovalent foot and mouth disease candidate vaccines, which are currently being evaluated and scrutinised by the country’s regulatory bodies (the National Drug Authority and the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology).

“When the evaluation of the candidate vaccines comes out successful, NARO will be authorised to carry out trials for the determination of efficacy and safety. If this level is also successful, the government will further support NARO to produce for mass rollout, as is happening with the anti-tick vaccine,” Tumwebaze noted.

Tumwebaze requested that the government provide an additional budget so that 10 million doses of the foot and mouth disease vaccine can be purchased.

He also stated that the ministry expects to receive and distribute 2.3 million doses of the vaccine to the affected and vulnerable districts to scale up vaccination.

So far, 36 districts have been placed under quarantine restriction until the country receives the FMD vaccine.

The foot and mouth disease was first confirmed in Uganda in 1953, and since then, several control measures have been applied.