MP granted leave to draft private members bill to regulate veterinary drugs

Nyabushozi County Member of Parliament, Fred Mwesigye, was granted leave of Parliament last week to introduce a Private Members Bill entitled, the Veterinary Drugs and Feeds Bill.

The bill seeks to address the management and regulation of veterinary products.

Mwesigye said that there are defects in the current veterinary drug regulatory framework, which is not in sync with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

He explained that the National Drug Authority focuses on human drugs and ignores animal drug regulation.

“This leaves the animal drug production to the forces of capitalism which has caused untold suffering to farmers of livestock because fake drugs are being sold on the market in an undetected manner,” Mwesigye added.

Mwesigye said that the international frameworks on veterinary products under WHO and FAO demand clarity in their production and management.

Mwesigye noted that the farmers have been left to fend for themselves leaving them in precarious situations in addressing scarcity and fake drugs.

Jackson Kafuuzi (NRM, Kyaka South), who seconded the motion, said livestock farmers have difficulty accessing drugs because they can only access them from official drug dispensers.

“While National Medical Stores (NMS) is obliged to distribute drugs to health centres every month, it does not deliver veterinary medicine to the veterinary facilities especially in the cattle corridor,” he said.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, said the issue of drug supplies, availability and quality has been long-standing and needs to be dealt with urgently.