International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola and his Botswana counterpart, Dr Phenyo Butale, meeting at the 6th South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Gaborone on Wednesday
South Africa and Botswana have moved to deepen cooperation on livestock vaccine development and animal disease control, with the two countries backing a regional approach that includes the establishment of a Southern African vaccine bank and a trans-animal disease protocol.
The renewed cooperation on livestock vaccines and animal disease management is expected to support regional agricultural productivity, improve biosecurity systems and strengthen Southern Africa’s ability to respond to future outbreaks while boosting intra-African agricultural trade.
Speaking at the ministerial segment of the 6th South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) on Wednesday, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said the two countries had agreed to work together to strengthen regional capacity to tackle livestock diseases across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) has already delivered two million doses of the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to South Africa to date since the recent outbreak, and is scheduled to provide doses on a monthly basis.
