20 Aug 2026

Botswana has donated 100 000 doses of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine to Lesotho as part of efforts to strengthen the country's response to the disease and deepen cooperation between the two countries.

Handing over the vaccines produced by the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) in Maseru on Wednesday, Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, described the donation as a demonstration of friendship, solidarity and practical cooperation between Botswana and Lesotho.

He said the support followed commitments made under the Botswana-Lesotho Binational Commission and reflected the two countries' shared interest in protecting livelihoods, food security and economic development.

FMD remains a major threat to livestock production and trade because outbreaks can disrupt livestock movement, restrict market access and place pressure on farmers and veterinary services.

Dr Dikoloti said Botswana therefore considered it necessary to support Lesotho in its efforts to control and manage the disease.

The minister highlighted the role of BVI, describing it as a strategic institution in Botswana and Africa's livestock and animal health sector.

Over the years, BVI has supported Botswana's national livestock disease control programmes and developed into a regional and international supplier of veterinary vaccines, particularly those used to combat FMD.

Dr Dikoloti said the donation demonstrated Botswana's scientific and technical capacity and showed that African countries could develop home-grown solutions to animal health challenges.

However, he cautioned that vaccines alone were not sufficient to control FMD.

Effective vaccination, he said, needed to be supported by proper planning, correct vaccine storage, cold-chain management, appropriate administration, disease surveillance, livestock movement controls and sustained farmer awareness.

To enhance the impact of the donation, BVI is also providing technical support through a vaccine handling and administration workshop for veterinary officials in Lesotho.

Dr Dikoloti said the training would help ensure effective use of the vaccines while strengthening the sustainability of Lesotho's disease control efforts.

He said livestock remained central to national development, noting that healthy animals contributed to productive farming, stable livelihoods, improved nutrition and stronger communities.

The donation is expected to support Lesotho's immediate FMD response and protect cattle and other susceptible livestock. It could also create opportunities for expanded cooperation between Botswana and Lesotho in animal health, livestock production, veterinary services, research, training and trade.

Dr Dikoloti said the fight against transboundary animal diseases required regional cooperation because such diseases did not respect national borders.

He said Botswana remained committed to working with Lesotho and other SADC member states to strengthen regional animal health systems, improve preparedness and protect livestock value chains.

The minister described the donation as an example of African solidarity, saying an animal disease outbreak in one country could have consequences beyond its borders.

Supporting affected countries, he said, was therefore not only an act of goodwill but also an investment in regional resilience and shared prosperity.

Dr Dikoloti said Botswana valued its relationship with Lesotho and hoped the handover would further strengthen bilateral ties while creating new opportunities for collaboration between technical institutions, including veterinary services and vaccine production entities.ENDS