Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA has reaffirmed that its foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-free status without vaccination is critical to protecting export markets and the agricultural economy, warning that illegal or unsupervised use of FMD vaccines could jeopardise this standing and result in severe financial losses.
Questions have been raised about why Namibia does not vaccinate preventatively in the free zone, as is done in protection and infected zones. Officials explained that introducing routine preventive vaccination in the free zone would have trade consequences, limiting market access and causing significant economic losses, even in the absence of an outbreak.
With only about one-third of Namibia’s beef consumed locally, the country manages FMD risk through strict movement controls, surveillance, border measures and rapid response capacity. Vaccination remains an option during outbreaks, but only under DVS authority.
FMD is a state-controlled disease, and only the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) is authorised to import, store and administer vaccines. Private individuals or organisations are prohibited from handling them.
Namibia’s FMD-free zone is registered with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as free without vaccination, a status that allows access to high-value international meat markets. Authorities cautioned that even a single confirmed case in the free zone could trigger immediate export bans.
They further warned that illegal vaccination can mask infections, distort surveillance data and compromise disease monitoring. In a zone declared free without vaccination, the detection of FMD antibodies is treated as suspicious and can lead to movement restrictions and suspension of livestock marketing, directly affecting farmers’ incomes.
Authorities stressed that the no-vaccination policy in the free zone is a deliberate strategy to safeguard market access and protect the long-term sustainability of the livestock industry.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Namibia Agricultural Union
