Government Rolls Out Mandatory FMD Vaccination, Shifts Burden to Shared Responsibility

The government has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of livestock disease control, introducing mandatory biannual vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) under a cost-sharing model in what officials describe as a decisive shift toward sustainable animal health management.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kampala, State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Bright Rwamirama Kanyontore, said the new policy marks a turning point in Uganda’s long-running struggle with recurring FMD outbreaks.

“The fight against Foot and Mouth Disease cannot be won by government alone,” Rwamirama said. “It requires collective responsibility from farmers, institutions, and all actors along the livestock value chain.”

Under the new framework, all susceptible livestock will be vaccinated every six months, with farmers contributing to the cost while government takes charge of procurement, storage, distribution, and surveillance.

Farmers will pay Shs 8,000 per dose for cattle and pigs, and Shs 4,000 for goats and sheep—a move authorities insist is not a withdrawal of state support, but a transition to a more predictable and sustainable financing model.

Officials say past fully government-funded vaccination campaigns consistently fell short of the 80–100 percent coverage required to achieve herd immunity, leaving the country exposed to repeated outbreaks that have triggered quarantines, disrupted markets, and eroded farmer incomes.

The latest policy draws heavily from lessons learned during widespread outbreaks between 2023 and mid-2024, which exposed deep structural gaps in disease control systems, particularly in high-risk cattle corridor districts.

Implementation is already underway, with more than 20,000 farmers registered and approximately 3.5 million animals enrolled in a national vaccination database as of mid-June 2026.

To support the rollout, government has secured 53.6 million doses of quadrivalent vaccines targeting the dominant FMD strains—serotypes O, A, SAT 1, and SAT 2—covering an estimated 44.5 million susceptible animals nationwide.

Cold chain infrastructure has also been expanded, including storage facilities in Entebbe and 53 solar-powered district centres, with an additional 40 planned in the next financial year.

In a bid to tighten accountability and efficiency, the Ministry has introduced a digital platform linking the Bank of Uganda and several commercial banks to manage farmer registration, payments, and vaccination records.

Farmers will be assigned unique identifiers through district veterinary officers before making payments via bank channels or USSD platforms. Vaccination teams will then be dispatched, and only certified animals will be cleared for movement and trade.

Authorities say this system will curb fraud, improve transparency, and enable real-time tracking of livestock across districts—closing loopholes that have previously undermined disease control efforts.

Crucially, only vaccinated animals will be eligible for movement permits and access to formal livestock markets, a measure expected to drive compliance and strengthen enforcement.

The livestock sector remains a cornerstone of Uganda’s rural economy, supporting millions of households and generating significant export earnings. In 2024 alone, the country earned about $285 million from dairy exports, alongside revenues from hides, skins, and other products.

However, officials warn that persistent FMD outbreaks continue to threaten these gains by restricting trade and reducing productivity.

Rwamirama said the new approach is designed to break this cycle by anchoring disease control in routine vaccination and shared ownership of the process.

“We are moving from reactive crisis management to a structured, preventive system,” he said.

The first national vaccination cycle under the new programme is scheduled for July–August 2026, with a second round planned for January–February 2027. Thereafter, vaccinations will be conducted every six months.

Authorities believe sustained implementation will gradually build herd immunity, stabilise livestock markets, and unlock greater regional and international trade opportunities.

Farmers and local leaders have been urged to prioritise registration and participate actively, with government emphasizing that the cost of vaccination is minimal compared to the losses caused by a single outbreak.

“This is not just a policy shift,” Rwamirama said. “It is a call to action for everyone whose livelihood depends on livestock.”

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