*Botswana launches disease tracking dashboard
Minister of Lands and Agriculture Dr Edwin Dikoloti has assured the nation that the government is winning the battle against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), following suppression of the outbreak in the North East and limited action cases in the Good Hope District.
According to Dr Dikoloti, the outbreak in Zone 3c and 6b has been successfully suppressed by vaccination with strong support and cooperation from farmers.
“The outbreak in Zone 11 and 13 is a lot more complex, and the scale is much bigger. But we are starting to see simmering down of cases in the initially infected areas – such as the Ramatlabama Artificial Insemination Centre, Ramatlabama and Papatlo villages, Lobatse feedlots and surrounding areas,” he said. “We are still seeing active cases in the recently affected areas such as Magoriapitse and Molapowabojang. This we expect to be extinguished by the ongoing second or third round of vaccination.”
Dr Dikoloti further noted that government is relying heavily on existing structures such as cluster fences, drift fences and road fences, to combat the outbreak.
Construction of the 350km Otse-Ramotswa-Mmathethe-Werda containment zone fence is also underway with 100 to 130 km of virgin land set to be cleared and cordon fence erected. The government has since set itself a lofty target of completing this task by the end of July, in order to pave way for an application to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to recognize the containment zone, and restore the international trade status of the rest of zones 11, 13 and other zones which are currently under siege due to linkage to the two zones.
Meanwhile, in order to fight the FMD scourge, the ministry has unveiled an Animal Disease Surveillance Dashboard which has been described as a defining milestone in the local animal health system and by extension, the agriculture sector and the wider economy. For a long time, responding to animal health emergencies meant reacting to crises after they had already taken root, therefore this modern digital dashboard modernizes Botswana’s Veterinary Services by providing real-time disease tracking and data visualization.
“Transboundary diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Avian Influenza including zoonotic diseases can devastate our livestock industry and extinguish international market access overnight-as we are learning bitterly with this ongoing devastating FMD outbreak that has brought us to our knees,” Dikoloti said during the launch of the dashboard, adding that no country, government institution or agency can manage these threats in isolation.
He emphasised that to protect local premium beef exports, and the livelihoods of farmers and the health of communities, disease detection and response capacity has to be stronger, faster, more integrated, and a lot more efficient.
According to Dr Dikoloti, disease outbreaks require automation and digitalisation- with a move from the traditional delayed paper-based reporting needed as the nation steps into a new era of proactive, digital risk management.
“This shifts operations away from outdated paper trails and excessive dependence on physical barriers (cordon fences) to digitally enabled evidence-based animal health management, faster outbreak response, and stronger regulatory compliance,” he said. “It collates field data linking directly with systems like the Botswana Animal Information and Traceability System (BAITS) and district veterinary networks to provide a comprehensive picture of animal health across the country.”
Dikoloti noted that this development is also a critical victory for the One Health approach, which recognises the unbreakable link between animal health, human health, and the shared environment.
The surveillance dashboard means Botswana can now identify epidemiological patterns, unusual events and disease hotspots before they escalate into widespread outbreaks, implement targeted response with mobilisation of resources and expertise where it is needed and protecting trade by maintaining highly accurate, quality data.
