Story by Providence Maraneli
ZIMBABWE and Botswana have strengthened cross-border cooperation in the fight against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), with more than 70 000 cattle vaccinated in Matabeleland South Province under a joint disease control programme.
The initiative comes as the two countries intensify efforts to contain transboundary animal diseases threatening livestock production and rural livelihoods in border communities.
Botswana contributed 100 000 vaccine doses towards the programme, which has so far recorded significant progress in high-risk areas.
Provincial Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Enat Mdlongwa, said the campaign has achieved a high success rate across four districts in Matabeleland South.
“This programme is targeting foot and Mouth disease where we vaccinated four districts. We got a 93 percent success rate off the programme. It is a very important programme that strengthens our relationship with Botswana in the fight against transboundary diseases.”
Botswana’s Department of Veterinary Services said cooperation from farmers and local structures has been critical to the success of the vaccination exercise.
“We are happy to be collaborating with Zimbabwe in the fight against FMD, and generally the farming community is very cooperative, and they are playing a critical part in the FMD fight, dip-tanks and committee members are helpful,” District Veterinary Officer, Northeast Department of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, Botswana, Dr Thito Seomile said.
The binational programme is set to cement the strong cooperation and commitment between Zimbabwe and Botswana in protecting communities against the adverse effects of climate change.
“Through this joint effort, our two countries continue to demonstrate the importance of bilateral relations that we have established and their regional cooperation in response to managing animal disease outbreaks. The campaign is an important step towards controlling the spread of foot and Mouth in our region,” Botswana’s Minister’s Counsellor, Ms Banabotlhe Kesianye-Melo said.
Zimbabwe this year launched large-scale vaccination campaigns, starting with high-risk areas like Masvingo and Matabeleland South, targeting the protection of the national herd to secure rural livelihoods.
