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Elita Chikwati-Senior Agriculture Reporter
Zimbabwe is in the process of setting up a Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine manufacturing laboratory, a move that will see the country saving millions of United States dollars in reduced imports.
About $350 million is required to set up the laboratory.
The biosafety level 3 laboratory will be set at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) in Hatcliffe.
In 2019, SIRDC was tasked to develop and localise production of veterinary Vaccines. To fulfil this mandate, the existing biotechnology research institute building requires upgrading to bio safety 3 level for handling highly contagious and infectious agents of human and animal origin.
When the laboratory is completed, the country will also be able to produce six other vaccines including for humans and will be able to export the vaccines other countries thereby earning the much needed foreign currency.
Zimbabwe is also targeting at anthrax and brucellosis, blackleg, Newcastle, January disease, lumpy skin diseases and rabies.
SIRDC chief executive, Professor Robson Mafoti, yesterday said the setting up of the FMD vaccine laboratory will reduce livestock mortality thereby improving productivity.
“Zimbabwe will be able to meet its vaccines requirements without the need to import. Trade barriers will not affect livestock production in Zimbabwe.
“National livestock vaccine imports cost US$45 million annually. Foreign currency shortages call for import substitution,” he said.
Prof Mafoti said they were working with French consultants Merck/Fortilcare on setting up the laboratory.
“We are consulting them on manufacturing of FMD vaccine. This is what this country needs. We want to bring in state of the art technology. We will probably be the only one in Africa with that kind of advanced process of making FMD vaccine.
“The layout for the manufacturing laboratory is all done. Now we are going to move into the building with specifically pointed areas where we are going to improve,” he said.
Prof Mafoti said if Treasury releases the money, they were certain that by end of the year, SIRDC would be manufacturing the FMD vaccine.
Merck/ Fortilcare consultant, Engineer Sean Kennedy, said he was assisting the project at all stages of implementation.
“The project starts at the concept stage, basis of design stage into a detail design stage and we will then go to the construction phases.
“We are working with SIRDC to finalise on whether we are going to use an existing building or we are going to create a new building to increase efficiency and production capacity. We are currently at the initial stages of the design process,” he said.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development director for Department of Veterinary, Dr Jairus Machakwa, said the manufacturing of the vaccine locally was noble.
“Our annual FMD vaccine requirements cost the country some US$3,6 million. Of course the local production will require certain imported inputs, but the fact that we are manufacturing the vaccine locally has many positives.
“We save on the foreign currency. By importing any finished product, we literally deny our industry an opportunity to grow. We deny our people jobs. So the positives are many. We also improve the consistency of availability of the vaccines.
“Today the importation of the vaccine from Botswana takes weeks to months. We are excited by the development also as we are able to harness the technical skills of our people,” he said.
Dr Machakwa said the manufacturing will also present exciting challenge sand opportunities for Zimbabwean scientists.
“We will produce vaccines best suited to us. We will produce vaccines that match the FMD strains that will be affecting us at any given time. The strains can change and a vaccine has to target the strains affecting the cattle,” he said.
FMD is the most contagious disease known to cattle. It is caused by a virus.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter