Ethiopia prepares FMD vaccine trial to strengthen disease control

ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), GALVmed and the Animal Health Institute (AHI) are preparing a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine immunogenicity trial to strengthen evidence for the country’s vaccination programme.

Representatives from the organisations met for a technical planning session to discuss implementing the trial, vaccine evaluation, regulatory considerations, and how to generate evidence relevant to Ethiopia’s FMD vaccination strategy.

The trial is planned to begin in early January 2027. It will be implemented in collaboration with AHI, GALVmed and the University of Minnesota’s Center for Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS).

The study will assess the immunogenicity and performance of selected FMD vaccines under Ethiopian conditions. 

The findings are expected to provide locally relevant evidence to support decisions around vaccine evaluation and future vaccination strategies.

Building the evidence base

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals.

Outbreaks can reduce animal productivity, disrupt livestock production and limit movement and trade.

Vaccine performance can vary with factors including circulating virus strains, animal populations, and local production conditions. 

Generating evidence under Ethiopian conditions can therefore help inform how vaccination programmes are designed and implemented.

The planned work extends beyond vaccine performance. It will provide a foundation for longer-term Value of Vaccination activities, which will assess the productivity benefits associated with effective FMD vaccination in dairy and beef production systems.

This could help quantify the economic value of disease prevention alongside the direct animal health benefits, particularly in production systems where livestock productivity is closely linked to household and commercial incomes.

The collaboration brings together Ethiopia’s veterinary authorities with international animal health, research and technical expertise. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and DVS will provide the national veterinary and regulatory context, while AHI, GALVmed and CAHFS will contribute to implementation and scientific evidence generation.

The January trial is therefore expected to form part of a broader effort to strengthen Ethiopia’s evidence base for FMD control and support more informed vaccination decisions.

By linking vaccine evaluation with longer-term productivity assessment, the initiative could provide evidence not only on whether vaccines generate an immune response under local conditions, but on the wider value of effective FMD prevention for Ethiopia’s livestock sector.

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