Agreements have been signed for the phased delivery of over one million doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in Mozambique. Abel Chilundo, the area manager, informed the media that this reinforcement will guarantee animal vaccination needs for more than a year, with a special focus on the provinces of Manica and Tete, located in the center of the country.
Despite this new supply, Chilundo assured that the country has sufficient vaccines to maintain the immunization campaign, a status reinforced by the reception of 300,000 doses approximately two weeks ago. He added that the provinces of Gaza and Maputo, in the southern region, already have a 'wide margin' of coverage, especially in priority areas.
According to the manager, vaccine availability will continue to increase through the acquisition of new batches over the next 12 to 18 months. The distribution of these new supplies will occur in stages due to production restrictions imposed by the manufacturer.
Foot-and-mouth disease is characterized as a highly transmissible viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, which can result in economic losses, decreased livestock productivity, and trade restrictions for both animals and animal products.
On April 29, the Government initiated a national vaccination campaign aimed at covering about 2.4 million cattle against foot-and-mouth disease and other diseases, aiming to mitigate risks to livestock production and food security. Subsequently, on June 1, the executive extended this campaign until July due to logistical difficulties related to the gradual arrival of vaccines. On that occasion, the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Albino, expressed the intention to boost domestic vaccine production.
The urgency to intensify vaccination arose after Mozambique recorded 542 outbreaks of animal diseases in 2025, an increase of 63% compared to the previous year. These outbreaks resulted in the death of about 25,000 cattle, according to official data released in April.