16 May 2021

Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) has pledged support towards national efforts in the control of COVID-19.

BVI acting general manager, Dr Mokganedi Mokopasetso, said in an interview that when the country kick-started its vaccination programme, they positioned themselves to ensure the provision of secure facilities for the temporary storage of COVID-19 vaccine stock.

He said the institution also ensured participation of their technical personnel who contributed to discussions around vaccine development, deployment and vaccination strategies.

“We also availed technical personnel (scientists) experienced in molecular diagnostic techniques (PCR testing) for the purposes of augmenting Ministry of Health and Wellness personnel should the need arise,” he said.

He said in the midst of COVID-19, the Institute had been self-reliant and had or did not receive any subversion from the government. 

He noted that this had been made possible through the sale of livestock vaccines to local and international markets to ensure the sustenance of its operations.

“Amid the challenges of COVID-19 and the inevitable economic crisis, the Institute continues to make efforts to improve its efficiency and capacity to address the national transformation agenda,” he said.

Dr Mokopasetso said BVI was the leader in the African continent as the only industrial-scale producer of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines and the only laboratory in Africa to provide purified FMD vaccines. 

BVI was established to carry on the business of research and manufacture of all types of vaccines and to sell the same throughout the world.

“In response to the threat of FMD in the northern regions of Botswana, the first vaccine product produced at BVI was the FMD vaccine that ensured sustainable control of the disease thus safeguarding Botswana’s beef exports industry” he noted.

Through continuous technological improvements over the years, BVI has been able to increase its product portfolio from FMD vaccine (1978) to include other high-quality livestock vaccines targeting diseases of social and economic importance such as Rinderpest vaccine (1985), Anthrax vaccine (1992), Blackleg vaccine (1992), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (1993), Thermostable rinderpest vaccine (1994), Peste des petits ruminants vaccine (1998) and the purified FMD vaccine (2010).

Dr Mokopasetso said the Institute was currently undergoing transformational changes through the development of a medium-term strategic plan (2021 – 2025) that seeks to address the growing needs with respect to successful control and management of economically devastating diseases that impede livestock productivity. 

He said the plan also seeks to strengthen BVI’s research and development capacity to address emerging infectious disease challenges. 

Dr Mokopasetso stated that BVI continues to engage and collaborate with national institutions such as BITRI, UB, BUAN, BIUST and other international bodies including FAO, OIE, SADC partners in an effort to address emerging needs within the sphere of One Health. ends