26 Apr 2017

Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) has made strides in producing vaccines for livestock diseases.
The vaccines have successfully controlled livestock diseases such as Anthrax, Blackquarter, Contagious Bovine Preuropneumonia (CBPP), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Foot and Mouth Disease at national and international level.
Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said this on Tuesday when briefing President Filipe Nyusi and his delegation during a three-day state visit to Botswana.
He said the vaccines produced adhered to international standards for the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) and were  guaranteed to provide the desired effect.
Mr Autlwetse said the vaccines were exported to over 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East.

He noted that Mozambique was a key customer for BVI through the provision of FMD vaccines, Rabies vaccines as well as diagnostic testing for FMD disease through the BVI OIE laboratory.
He said there was strong collaboration between BVI and Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture through the Department of Veterinary Services.
“This is commendable and is in line with both our governments’ commitment to ensuring strongest ties, collaboration and exchange of information for the benefit of the livestock sector,” he said.

Finance manager, Ms Mmabasotho Tibe said BVI’s mission was to support the livestock industry by manufacturing relevant vaccines and providing services of the highest quality through the utilisation of the best technology to combat livestock vaccines.
She said the organisation was established to assist the livestock industry, particularly beef exports by producing high quality vaccines because livestock helps sustain more than 40 per cent of households.
She said BVI has been able to maintain the health of 2.5 million cattle thereby contributing significantly to foreign exchange.
Ms Tibe said BVI collaborates with Merial, the world leading animal health company, by providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals in the SADC region and other countries in the continent.
“Through our collaboration with Merial there is no doubt in the ability of our vaccines because Merial is the second largest producer in the world in the animal health products market,” she said.
The institutions sales and marketing manager, Dr Mbaakanyi Mazwiduma said through the Memorundum of Understanding in agriculture, collaboration between the two countries would be enhanced.

He said BVI was ready to receive staff from Central Veterinary Laboratory in Mozambique for training on FMD diagnostics.
Dr Mazwiduma added that BVI would in due course propose a technical visit by the director of the Department of Veterinary Services Mozambique and his team to consolidate and bring into action proposals by Mozambique.
He said the aim of BVI was to contribute to the livestock industry in Mozambique, Botswana and in Africa. He also said it was to focus on herd health by prevention of trans-boundary animal diseases as well as to promote animal health to increase animal production.
BVI produces several types of vaccines such as Aftovax (conventional FMD) – Aftovaxpur (purified FMD), Pestobov and Pestobov T (Rinderpest), – Peribov (Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia) PPR-VAC (Pestes des Petitis Ruminants),  Carbovax (Anthrax) and Asymptol (Blackquarter). ENDS