Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has hinted that private companies may, in future, be allowed to manufacture certain vaccines for state-controlled animal diseases.
By Charl van Rooyen, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Following the recent diagnosis of Rift Valley fever in sheep in the Northern Cape and an urgent call to farmers to vaccinate their sheep, goats and cattle immediately, African Farming submitted questions to the office of Minister Steenhuisen to find out whether he might help fast-track the registration of a new vaccine for the disease. His office responded as follows:
“The minister’s office does not register vaccines. This is a scientific process provided for under Act 36. I am advised that the matter is currently the subject of a legal dispute after the previous application was not approved.
“The minister cannot simply approve an Act 36 application, as it involves both scientific and legal processes.
“However, I have raised within the department the possibility of pursuing public–private partnerships where it makes commercial sense and where scale is required. Discussions are under way with the Agricultural Research Council and other stakeholders to begin evaluating this process.”
At issue is the fact that the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture urged farmers to vaccinate their livestock against Rift Valley fever after a positive blood test for the disease on a farm near Kakamas on 14 November.
The problem is that no Rift Valley fever vaccine is currently available in the country.
It is understood that Onderstepoort Biological Products does produce the vaccine, but not at sufficient scale. Existing stock has reportedly been sold out, and the next batch may only be available in 2026.
This has increased pressure on the Registrar of Act 36 of 1947 to approve an application for a new Rift Valley fever vaccine. The relevant dossier was submitted years ago but the vaccine has still not been approved.
African Farming asked the applicant, Design Biologix, a private vaccine manufacturer in Pretoria, for comment, but the company said it is not permitted to respond at this stage.
Also read: Northern Cape Agriculture issues urgent warning following Rift Valley Fever outbreak
The Mosquito-Borne Virus Thrives in Current Weather
Rift Valley fever is caused by a virus spread by Aedes mosquitoes. It affects a range of animals, including sheep, goats, cattle and even buffalo, but sheep are the most severely impacted.
The current rainy conditions in parts of South Africa create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes.
When the disease was first detected in South Africa in the 1950s, about 100 000 sheep died and 500 000 ewes aborted. Since then, sporadic smaller outbreaks have occurred, along with major epidemics in 1974–1975 and 2008–2011.
Vaccination remains the only effective defence, as the disease is unpredictable and it is impossible to fully protect animals from exposure to mosquitoes.
Also read: Rift Valley fever is deadly for humans and animals; vaccinate now
