Botswana’s capacity to respond to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is under growing pressure as regional outbreaks drive an unprecedented surge in vaccine demand, with government warning that requests now exceed local production capacity.
Speaking during a national update on the FMD situation, Minister of Lands and Agriculture Gorataone Edwin Dikoloti said the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) is facing significant strain as the disease spreads across the Southern African region.
According to government, roughly half of the SADC region is currently experiencing FMD outbreaks, creating intense pressure on vaccine manufacturers and veterinary services across borders. The spike in demand has forced Botswana to prioritise emergency vaccine supplies for high-risk zones within the country at a time when the nation is battling a confirmed outbreak in the southern FMD-free zone that has already led to livestock movement restrictions and the closure of the Botswana Meat Commission abattoir.
“Requests now exceed our current production capacity,” the minister said, adding that the institute remains committed to ensuring emergency supplies reach the most vulnerable areas.
The mounting pressure comes despite the BVI’s strong turnaround from a period of financial losses to record-breaking revenue and growing regional influence. While the Botswana Meat Commission handles meat exports, the BVI has increasingly become the engine room of the country’s animal health exports and is now grappling with what officials describe as a production emergency.
In the current 2025/26 financial year, the institute has distributed about 3.8 million doses of FMD vaccines across the SADC region. South Africa received the largest share at 1.6 million doses, followed by Zimbabwe with 1.3 million doses, Eswatini with 308,000 doses and Mozambique with 116,200 doses. The export surge reflects a major financial recovery, with BVI recording revenue of P245 million and a profit of P46 million in 2023/24 after posting a P20 million loss just two years earlier.
Beyond manufacturing vaccines, BVI has taken on a frontline scientific role in the national response. Veterinary teams from the institute are participating in field investigations, disease mapping and confirmatory diagnostics to help authorities track how the virus is spreading and identify the most effective containment strategies.
This work forms part of a broader national emergency response bringing together government departments, the private sector and academic institutions such as the University of Botswana and the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Experts ranging from virologists and statisticians to sociologists and economists have been mobilised to strengthen surveillance and guide eradication strategies.
The vaccine shortage is unfolding as Botswana races to restore its suspended FMD-free status under the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The country must demonstrate successful eradication and apply for recovery before April 2028 to avoid losing its status entirely and restarting the lengthy recognition process.
At the same time, the institute is pursuing a major diversification strategy aimed at reducing reliance on FMD vaccines. Under its “4:40 Strategy,” the BVI aims to generate 40 percent of its revenue from four additional product lines by 2025/26, including vaccines for poultry, anthrax and rabies. Construction of what is expected to be Africa’s largest antigen bank is nearing completion, a development intended to enable near-instant vaccine formulation during regional emergencies. A feasibility study has also been completed to explore a return to human vaccine manufacturing.
The institute’s growing regional role is increasingly positioning it as an animal health hub. It remains one of the few globally recognised reference laboratories for FMD and has begun exporting technical expertise alongside vaccines, deploying specialist missions to Eswatini and other SADC countries in early 2026 to assist with outbreak assessments and tailored vaccination strategies.
Government has reaffirmed its commitment to capacitating the BVI to become a global vaccine-producing powerhouse, particularly as Botswana seeks to diversify its economy amid volatility in the diamond sector. However, the competitive landscape may shift in coming years, with South Africa exploring “fill-and-finish” vaccine solutions to boost its own supply security.
For now, the immediate priority remains containing the outbreak and safeguarding the livestock industry, a key pillar of the national economy and rural livelihoods.
Government has urged farmers to remain vigilant, follow veterinary guidance and report suspected cases promptly as the country intensifies its fight to contain the disease.
