FairPlay has called on the South African government to act with urgency on the issue of bird flu vaccination.
The advocacy group says that the mass vaccination programme that Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen promised has not been put into effect by officials who refuse to alter vaccination requirements that poultry producers say are too onerous and too costly to implement.
“Negotiations to get a more practical and affordable set of rules have failed, and the programme has stalled. As a result, the South African poultry industry remains vulnerable to a repeat of the disastrous 2023 bird flu outbreak.”
A recent World Veterinary Poultry Association Congress (WVPAC) made it clear that there were no longer any technical or economic barriers to vaccination against avian influenza (bird flu). What is lacking are policy decisions by governments.
Market analysts WATTPoultry reported that attendees were told that vaccination programmes had proven to be extremely valuable in reducing and preventing transmission of bird flu within and between flocks, yet it was pointed out that vaccination was underused in many countries.
Vaccination campaigns in France and six Latin American countries have demonstrated clear success in outbreak reduction.
Professor Dr Sjaak de Wit, World Veterinary Poultry Association president, said that vaccination was a critical component of sustainable bird flu control. The challenge, however, is to ensure that the message reaches veterinary regulators and policymakers worldwide.
Echoing these sentiments, FairPlay said it hoped that South African veterinarians had attended the congress and that the messages had been conveyed to Steenhuisen and his top officials.
“It is time for the South African government to act urgently to ensure the survival of a strategic national industry.”
