The veterinary authorities have started to import 1.5 million doses of vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease in response to an outbreak in the districts of Chifunde and Maravia, in the central province of Tete.

The acquisition of the vaccines, to be administered to 750,000 cattle in high-risk areas, comes at a time when southern Africa is undergoing an outbreak.

According to the newspaper "Noticias", this has led experts from the region to draw up an action plan to stop the spread of the disease. So far, in addition to Mozambique, the disease has been reported in Malawi, Zambia and South Africa.

According to a source in the National Directorate of Livestock Development (DNDP), the vaccines will be purchased in Botswana.

The distribution of vaccines will take into account the vulnerability of the regions to the fever, focusing on the border districts of the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, Manica, Tete, Niassa, and Zambezia.

After the confirmation of cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Tete, the national authorities have banned the movement of cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep throughout the province of Tete. In addition, the movement of fodder for the feeding of cattle from the districts of Chifunde, Maravia, and Macanga and the concentration of animals for any purpose without the permission of the veterinary authority was also suspended.

The circulation of animals in the rest of the country is only allowed once the procedures for the internal transit of the livestock and/or their by-products are observed, including a registration certificate of the means of transport, issued by the competent authority.