MBABANE – The government is set to update members of the press on a weekly basis on the fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
This was a resolution that came out from a recent meeting that the Ministry of Agriculture animal health officials and members of the media held at Sibane Sami Hotel, Ezulwini.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary (PS) Sydney Simelane, the weekly report will show how many cows have been vaccinated each week.
The updates dovetail with the vaccination roll-out where vaccines are given to cows, putting all animal dip-tanks in affected areas under strict control, and increasing checks and patrols along the ‘red line’ to stop animals and animal products from moving around.
Simelane stressed the importance of animal doctors and news reporters to work closer together.
The goal is to share important information quickly and work together to stop animal sickness.
The ministry’s officials assured that members of the public would get factual information about FMD and also dismantle myths, misinformation and disinformation, including that the disease for farm animals does not directly harm humans.
Dr. Thembi Ndlangamandla said it was necessary for people to know facts about FMD including that it is caused by a virus that spreads easily among animals like cows, sheep, goats, and pigs through touch or even air. She noted that while it’s not a danger to people, it greatly affects selling animals to other countries and needs a lot of effort to control.
Dr. Zizwe Cindzi from Veterinary and Livestock Services encouraged animal doctors and the public news outlets to team up. He said they need to find out why news reporting sometimes has problems and fix them to get information out better. This team effort aims to keep the public updated on FMD and what’s being done.
Dr. Xolani R. Dlamini spoke about the rules for managing animals, such as branding animals, stopping some animal products from moving, and marking special zones for FMD control.
Nhlanhla Shongwe ended by saying that everyone involved in animal care and news reporting needs to keep working together. These shared efforts are key to lowering the impact of FMD and keeping farm animals healthy.
For emergencies, people are encouraged to call the hotline, 112.
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