South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province is making progress towards its target of vaccinating 80% of the estimated 2.5 million cattle population against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), as authorities intensify efforts to prevent further outbreaks.

KwaZulu-Natal has been among the provinces most severely affected by the FMD outbreak that began in 2021. The disease has placed significant pressure on livestock farmers and the wider agricultural value chain, making vaccination and animal movement controls critical to protecting the province’s cattle industry.

The KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture Department has so far vaccinated approximately 1.7 million cattle, with vaccination efforts continuing in two remaining districts.

Reaching the 80% target would provide broader protection across the province’s cattle population and strengthen efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious livestock disease.

KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture Member of the Executive Council Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa said authorities would continue treating FMD as a major threat even as vaccination coverage improves.

The province also plans to maintain sufficient vaccine stocks and ensure that veterinary personnel and identification resources remain available. Monitoring animal movements will continue to form an important part of the province’s disease-control strategy.

Authorities are particularly focused on preventing a repeat of previous outbreaks by strengthening surveillance, vaccination and controls on the movement of livestock between affected and unaffected areas.

For cattle farmers, effective FMD management is essential not only for protecting animal health but also for maintaining access to markets. Outbreaks can result in movement restrictions, trade disruptions and financial losses throughout the livestock supply chain.

The continued vaccination campaign therefore forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen KwaZulu-Natal’s livestock sector and improve preparedness against future outbreaks.

With approximately 1.7 million cattle already vaccinated and two districts still to be covered, the province is moving closer to its 80% vaccination objective. Maintaining vaccination capacity, adequate vaccine supplies, animal identification and effective movement controls will remain crucial to keeping Foot-and-Mouth Disease under control.

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