Minister Willie Aucamp’s swift intervention in response to serious allegations of the markup of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines should be commended. South African farmers battling one of the country’s worst FMD outbreaks cannot afford to be burdened by potentially exorbitant vaccine markups.
The Minister’s urgent Friday morning meeting with the Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) Board to discuss allegations of serious misconduct related to vaccine pricing demonstrates that the Minister is proactively acting in the interests of South African farmers in their time of need. Following the Minister’s meeting with the OBP Board, the Board has, as a precaution, suspended its CEO, Dr Jacob Modumo, affording him five days to provide reasons why he should not be suspended.
The Minister has made it clear that OBP must not unjustly profit from the FMD tragedy impacting our farming communities, and that the financial burdens already experienced by South African farmers should not be increased. The Minister’s intervention should be welcomed, and the concerns raised should be quickly examined and resolved by the OBP Board.
Given the seriousness of the FMD outbreak and the need for farmers to receive and use critical vaccines, the Minister and the Department of Agriculture have a clear responsibility to protect and support South Africa’s farming communities during this period.