Government of Uganda has rolled out a compulsory nationwide vaccination programme against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) as part of a new strategy to protect livestock, boost farmer incomes, and safeguard the country’s growing livestock export market.
The initiative, which will be implemented under the FMD Cost Recovery Scheme, seeks to sustainably manage the highly contagious livestock disease through compulsory vaccination of cattle, goats, sheep and pigs every six months.
Speaking during a national briefing on the status of Foot and Mouth Disease control in Uganda at Media Center on Sunday, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Animal Industry), Bright Rwamirama, said the government had adopted a new policy following devastating outbreaks experienced between late 2023 and mid-2024.
According to the minister, the outbreaks affected several districts, especially within the cattle corridor, forcing authorities to impose quarantines, restrict livestock movement, and close animal markets, causing major economic losses to farmers and traders.
“Foot and Mouth Disease remains one of the biggest threats to Uganda’s livestock sector and trade in animal products. Through compulsory vaccination, government aims to progressively eliminate recurring outbreaks and improve access to both regional and international markets,” Rwamirama said.
FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, goats, sheep and pigs and spreads rapidly through infected animals, contaminated equipment, feeds, vehicles and human movement between farms. The disease causes wounds in the mouth and feet, excessive salivation, reduced milk production, infertility, abortions and sometimes death among young animals.
Government statistics indicate that Uganda currently has approximately 44.5 million susceptible animals, including 15.5 million cattle, 17.4 million goats, 4.4 million sheep and 7.1 million pigs, whose productivity is threatened by recurrent FMD outbreaks.
The minister noted that Uganda’s livestock industry continues to contribute significantly to the national economy. In 2024, the country reportedly earned approximately US$285 million from dairy exports, alongside earnings from hides, skins, gelatin and related livestock products. However, recurring FMD outbreaks continue to limit trade opportunities and reduce productivity.
Under the new arrangement, government will conduct compulsory biannual vaccination, with the first nationwide vaccination exercise scheduled for July to August 2026, while the second phase will run between January and February 2027.
Farmers will contribute UGX 8,000 per dose for cattle and pigs and UGX 4,000 per dose for goats and sheep under the cost-sharing arrangement, while government will handle vaccine procurement, distribution, administration, disease surveillance and supervision.
To support the programme, government has secured 53.6 million doses of high-potency quadrivalent vaccines designed to protect livestock against the major FMD virus strains circulating in the region, including Serotype O, Serotype A, SAT 1 and SAT 2.
In addition, government has expanded vaccine storage infrastructure through the establishment of solar-powered district vaccine stores and improved refrigerated transportation systems to ensure vaccines remain effective and accessible nationwide.
Rwamirama said progress had already been registered in the onboarding of farmers into the vaccination system. As of June 12, 2026, over 20,000 farmers had been registered, while approximately 3.5 million animals had been enrolled for vaccination across several livestock-producing districts.
“These figures demonstrate growing farmer confidence in the programme and increasing appreciation of the role vaccination plays in protecting livelihoods and improving market access,” he said.
The minister urged livestock farmers, traders, processors, transporters and district leaders to embrace the programme, emphasizing that preventing a single outbreak is far less costly than the economic damage caused by FMD.
“Every vaccinated animal is an investment in a healthier herd, higher productivity and greater market opportunities,” he added.
