24 January 2026
The Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding regional animal health as Southern Africa confronts an escalating outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
Acknowledging the scale and seriousness of the outbreak across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, BVI has activated emergency response measures in line with its customer value proposition and longstanding mandate to support livestock health, food security, and regional resilience.
As part of this response, BVI has begun deploying technical missions to affected countries. A team has already been dispatched to Eswatini to work alongside local veterinary professionals, with further deployments planned to other countries reporting new FMD outbreaks. These technical missions are designed to assess the specific characteristics of each outbreak and to guide appropriate response strategies, including the formulation and supply of targeted, fit-for-purpose vaccines under emergency conditions.
BVI emphasised that these technical interventions are essential for strengthening outbreak evaluation, improving containment strategies, and ensuring that vaccination efforts are scientifically informed and context-specific.
In parallel with these efforts, BVI has urged livestock stakeholders and the general public to strictly comply with disease control measures implemented by veterinary and regulatory authorities. These include livestock movement restrictions, quarantine protocols, and biosecurity measures, all of which are critical to effective outbreak containment and the protection of the regional livestock sector.
The Institute expressed confidence that, through sustained collaboration, technical rigour, and transparent communication, the SADC region is well positioned to mitigate the current FMD outbreak and reinforce long-term animal health systems.
With more than four decades of experience as Africa’s leading veterinary vaccine manufacturer and research institute, BVI has played a pivotal role in regional FMD control. The Institute has successfully supported previous outbreak responses through advanced laboratory diagnostics and the timely supply of specialised vaccines tailored to outbreak-specific strains.
BVI continues to provide reliable updates and technical communications through its official platforms. Stakeholders are encouraged to visit www.bvi.co.bw and follow the Botswana Vaccine Institute on social media for the latest information.
Source: https://shorturl.at/WWgLs
