Eastern Uganda Leaders Question Feasibility of FMD Vaccination Cost-Sharing Policy

Foot-and-mouth disease poses a severe threat to livelihoods in livestock-dependent regions, causing significant economic losses.

Leaders in Eastern Uganda have cautiously welcomed the government’s new cost-sharing policy to combat foot and mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs.

The disease poses a severe threat to livelihoods in livestock-dependent regions, causing significant economic losses.

While the government previously shouldered the full cost of FMD vaccination, increasing outbreak frequency and limited financial resources have necessitated a more sustainable funding approach.

The Minister of State for Fisheries, Hellen Adoa, recently met with leaders from seven districts—Tororo, Mbale, Butaleja, Budaka, Kumi, Manafwa, and Namisindwa—to introduce and discuss the new policy.

The meeting brought together district veterinary officers, district chairpersons, RDCs, DISOs, and farmer representatives.

Minister Adoa explained that while the government would cover the costs of vaccine administration and management, farmers would be required to pay for the vaccines themselves.

“Government alone cannot treat everybody’s animal, so what we have come to talk to you is how to cost-share,” she said.

Adoa emphasized that the rising costs of managing FMD outbreaks and poor animal husbandry practices necessitated the shift to cost-sharing.

She urged farmers to prioritize their livestock, treating it as a commercial investment rather than a neglected asset.

“You should love your animals knowing that they will not benefit President Museveni or your MP. It is your cow; you should have love and burden to look after it,” she said, encouraging improved animal care to boost productivity.

The vaccination process will incorporate digital tools to enhance efficiency. Farmers will transfer funds through mobile money to a revolving account at the Bank of Uganda, then request vaccines via a mobile app, website, or SMS system.

Automated notifications will alert relevant officials to facilitate timely vaccination.

While local leaders expressed general support for the cost-sharing model, they raised concerns about its practicability.

Leaders noted that farmers’ ability to pay could delay mass vaccination efforts, particularly during outbreaks.

Concerns were also raised about potential inefficiencies in the digital platform, with calls for a faster process.

Dr Boniface Obbo, Manafwa District production officer, advocated for decentralizing vaccine storage to improve accessibility and urged tighter regulation of cattle imports from Kenya to prevent cross-border FMD transmission.

Dr Robert Ojala, the regional veterinary inspector, highlighted the economic toll of FMD outbreaks.

While the disease does not affect humans, it compromises the quality of animal products, limiting trade and market access.

He pointed to missed export opportunities, such as a recent contract to supply livestock to the Egyptian army, which Uganda forfeited due to FMD concerns.

However, Uganda is working to establish an FMD-free zone to enhance its livestock export capacity.

Leaders proposed several measures to ensure the policy’s effectiveness, including conducting regular censuses in non-cattle corridor districts to improve disease planning and control.

They also suggested barring unvaccinated animals from accessing local markets to incentivize farmer participation in vaccination programs and localising vaccine storage and distribution to streamline access.

Despite adopting the cost-sharing model for FMD, the government pledged to maintain free vaccinations for other livestock diseases.

It will also continue supporting disease surveillance and veterinary training programs to ensure comprehensive animal health management.

The new cost-sharing policy represents a shift towards sustainability in Uganda’s livestock health management.

However, its success will depend on addressing implementation challenges, ensuring affordability, and fostering greater collaboration between stakeholders.