January 13, 2004

 

 

Zimbabwe To Construct FMD Vaccine Facility

 

Zimbabwe is likely to construct a facility to produce a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine, a development that could save the country $15 billion in foreign currency.

 

Discussions between Zimbabwe's delegation led by the Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement Dr Joseph Made and the director-general of RAZI vaccine and serum producing Institutes, Dr Mohd Ali Akhavizadegan, showed that there was great potential for scientific collaboration in the area of foot and mouth vaccine production in Zimbabwe.

 

The talks on the possible setting up of the FMD vaccine plant continue today, with Zimbabwe represented by the director of veterinary services Dr Wilbun Madzima expected to put forward the proposal.

 

The FMD vaccine production plant would be a welcome development for Zimbabwe as it had spent millions of dollars in foreign currency importing the vaccines from Botswana.

 

Zimbabwe needs at least nine million doses of the FMD vaccine a year for the next two to three years to be able to control the outbreak.

 

The Government has been importing 1,5 million doses to treat 600 000 cattle twice a year, but this had been inadequate.

 

The cattle population stands at 6,5 million herd and unless a local vaccine plant is established, the country will continue forking out millions of dollars in foreign currency importing the vaccine.

 

Dr Madzima said a joint feasibility study would have to be undertaken in Zimbabwe by experts from Iran.

 

"We are very keen on FMD vaccine production. We have export markets to protect and so we should localise vaccine production to keep costs down and save forex," said Dr Madzima.

 

"Setting up such a plant is costly but we will have to bite the bullet now and meet the costs with a powerful partner who is willing to transfer technology."

 

Iran is self-sufficient in both human and animal vaccines.

 

Dr Akhavizadegan said the institute was willing and ready to start collaboration for the transfer of the technology to Zimbabwe.

 

The RAZI institute has the industrial capacity to manufacture the equipment needed for FMD vaccine production.

 

Today's talks will also explore the possibility of having a team of FMD vaccine experts visit Zimbabwe to familiarise with the situation.

 

As Zimbabwe concludes its land reform focus has now moved to crop production, livestock production and disease management.

 

Zimbabwe has in recent years been hard hit by outbreaks of FMD, which has killed thousands of cattle and impacted negatively on the European Union beef market.