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Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) member states have appealed to collaborating partners to support efforts to eradicate foot and mouth disease in the region.
The appeal was launched in the Botswana capital of Gaborone on September 25, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Henry Mussa, said Wednesday in an interview.
Collaborating partners such as the European Union (EU), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the African Union (AU) were present during the launch, he said.
Mussa said the 14 Sadc member states require about $26 million to tame the disease. Malawi alone requires $1.3 million.
The deputy minister said the fight against foot and mouth disease will be approached in two phases.
“There is the emergency phase, which will include the procurement of vaccines and the vaccination programme itself, among others, while the recovery phase will include medium term surveillance programmes,” he said.
He said in the long term there will be continued vaccination and the procurement of resources such as motor vehicles, motorcycles and push bicycles.
Meanwhile, the EU has pledged to release $4 million while FAO is expected to provide technical support.
“The response is positive in that if the situation is not dealt with promptly there will be a crisis. We should be aware that exported meat products could also carry the virus if not dealt with at source,” Mussa said.
All Sadc member states, except Lesotho, Mauritius and the Seychelles, are grappling to eradicate the disease.
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