South Africa has declared the current foot-and-mouth disease outbreak a national disaster and will vaccinate 14 million cattle, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced, as the country confronts one of the worst outbreaks on record.
“We have classified foot-and-mouth disease as a national disaster and will be mobilising all necessary capabilities within the state to deal with this crisis,” Ramaphosa said, confirming the extensive vaccination campaign that authorities plan to roll out.
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The president’s declaration elevates the government’s response and frees up national resources and coordination mechanisms to address the livestock emergency. Ramaphosa said the state will mobilize capabilities across ministries and agencies to support containment, treatment and the large-scale vaccination effort.
Details about the timetable, geographic scope and logistics of inoculating 14 million cattle were not released in the initial announcement. The scale of the vaccination programme — targeting millions of animals — underscores the government’s assessment of the outbreak’s severity and the urgent need to protect livelihoods connected to the cattle industry.
Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious among cloven-hoofed animals and can devastate herds, trade and farming incomes. While the human health risk is negligible, outbreaks typically prompt strict animal movement controls and have significant economic effects on production and export markets.
The declaration as a national disaster allows provincial and national authorities to coordinate relief and prevention measures more directly, and may unlock emergency funding and logistical support. Ramaphosa did not specify which additional measures beyond vaccination would be enacted immediately, nor did he provide an estimate of the timeline for bringing the outbreak under control.
Officials and agricultural stakeholders will be watching for further announcements detailing where vaccines will be deployed first, how the programme will be funded and whether international assistance or trade restrictions will follow. Farmers, veterinarians and livestock transporters face immediate concerns about animal movement, market access and the practical challenges of carrying out mass vaccination.
The government has signaled a heightened and centralized response to contain the outbreak and limit damage to the agricultural sector. Further briefings are expected as authorities develop operational plans and begin rolling out the vaccination campaign.
By News-room
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
