GABORONE, April 13 — The Botswanan government has strengthened its response to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) following the detection of the disease in the southern and southeastern part of the country, a senior official said on Monday.
Speaking during a press conference held at the FMD National Emergency Operations Center in Gaborone, Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture Edwin Dikoloti said that the disease was first detected at the Ramatlabama National Artificial Insemination Center in southern Botswana, affecting 65 bulls that had been selected for semen collection, and a further 53 animals in different locations within a 10 km radius of the area.
The government has allocated 97 million Botswanan pula (about 7.2 million U.S. dollars) toward combating the outbreak, with about 30 million pula already utilized for surveillance, vaccination and bio-security interventions, said Dikoloti.
The outbreak has also disrupted operations at the Botswana Meat Commission, resulting in the suspension of exports to the European Union with a financial strain on farmers, the ministry said on its official social media account.
The government continues to work closely with farmers, traditional leaders and regional partners to contain the outbreak, including vaccination programs and cross-border cooperation.
Botswana has also donated 50,000 vaccine doses to Zimbabwe to strengthen protection along shared borders, it added.
An interactive FMD dashboard was formulated to provide real-time updates on affected and unaffected areas across the country, enhancing transparency and public awareness, according to the ministry.
Members of the public are urged to comply with all control measures, avoid unauthorized movement of livestock, and report any suspected cases to veterinary offices. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
