Uganda has secured another consignment of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines from Egypt, marking a significant boost in its ongoing fight against the livestock disease.
The latest delivery, consisting of 2.5 million doses, was received yesterday by Special Forces Commander Maj Gen David Mugisha on behalf of Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
This is the third consignment from Egypt this year, following earlier shipments of 3 million doses each in May and July.
These deliveries underscore Egypt’s commitment to aiding Uganda’s efforts to control FMD, with representatives from both countries, including Dr. Amgad Nagy from Egypt’s agriculture ministry and the Egyptian Defence Attaché Brig Gen Mohamed Embaby, present at the handover.
The ongoing FMD outbreak has led to livestock quarantines in 32 Ugandan districts, particularly affecting areas within the cattle corridor such as Luwero, Isingiro, and Kiruhura.
The Ministry of Agriculture has restricted livestock movement in these districts to curb the spread of the disease, which poses a threat to Uganda’s livestock industry.
To meet its vaccination needs, Uganda requires approximately 44 million doses of FMD vaccines each year, translating into a bi-annual vaccination program costing around $176 million.
The recent contributions from Egypt are expected to strengthen Uganda’s vaccine reserves and support its preventive efforts.
This delivery follows an October meeting between CDF Gen Kainerugaba and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, where both leaders committed to further cooperation across multiple sectors.
Egypt has also provided equipment to Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), aimed at enhancing local vaccine production capacity.
