Shortage of vaccines to be addressed urgently

The board and management of Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) have worked tirelessly over the past few months to ensure that production functionality, governance, compliance and labour-related matters are adequately and timeously addressed.

This was according to a recent statement by OBP, following queries from various stakeholders with regard to the company’s current operational capabilities and the dismissal of, among other staff members, its former CEO, Dr Baptiste Dungu.

The board said in the statement that there had been production issues that could be attributed to a historical lack of plant maintenance, as well as ongoing challenges relating to, among other issues, interrupted electricity supply and labour matters.

The board was working closely with management to ensure that equipment was being maintained, augmented and procured over the short, medium and long terms. OBP further confirmed that vaccines currently required by the market were available through the retail outlets and veterinarians that sold OBP products.

Of further consequence to the company’s operations was the initial precautionary suspension of Dungu in April 2021, as well as that of the former manager in the office of the CEO, Lindiwe Mabena, pending investigations relating to charges of dishonesty and mismanagement, amongst others. Dungu and Mabena were dismissed and their services with the company terminated in December 2021.

“We are confident that OBP, with strengthened and sound stakeholder support, can manage the challenges ahead and fulfil its mandate as the prime supplier of animal vaccines to the South African market and safeguard the health of the national herds,” the OBP statement said.

According to a separate statement by Dungu, the matter of his “unfair dismissal” would now be heard by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Gerhard Schutte, chairperson of South Africa’s National Animal Health Forum, said he sincerely hoped that OBP’s undertaking would become a reality. The current shortage of vaccines was dire, and at the time of writing, all nine provincial animal health forums were reporting severe shortages, he said.

“The shortage of [vaccines] for heartwater and redwater is particularly worrying. The vaccine deficiency poses a threat to food security, income security, and human and animal life. The spread of zoonotic diseases to humans is a serious concern,” Schutte added. – Annelie Coleman

FW ARCHIVE Livestock farmers have received an assurance from Onderstepoort Biological Products that the vaccine shortage is receiving priority.