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Shift Media News 
By Patrick Jaramogi
Kampala, Uganda:
On Monday, 7th October, 2019, Cabinet sat and approved regulations on veterinary products in the country.
The move that seeks to create an independent and autonomous Veterinary Drug Regulatory Authority has been applauded by the Uganda Veterinary Association (UVA).
Cabinet among others approved the Regulation of Veterinary Medical Products, Biologicals, Chemicals and Devices. The objectives include the application of veterinary science in regulation of manufacture, import, export, distribution, sale and use of Veterinary inputs including medical products and biologicals and equipment to fulfil the needs of the animal subsector and improve animal health and productivity.
Speaking to the media at the Uganda Veterinary Association (UVA) offices in Kampala on Thursday, the UVA Board Chairman, Dr. John Mark Nuwagaba hailed President Museveni and entire cabinet for the initiative describing it as a ‘landmark’ decision that will restore the glory of the veterinary profession countrywide, and propel the livestock sector to greater heights.
In the Monday State House Meeting, Cabinet decided that there is urgent need to put mechanisms in place for the promotion and safe application and use of veterinary inputs along the livestock value chain from production through processing and marketing to enhance the quality, safe and competitiveness of animal products in local, regional and international markets;
“For long, we (Veterinarians), who are tasked with animal welfare, have been left out due to the current laws and regulations. It was hard for UVA as a professional body bringing together veterinarians to enforce the law. The new decision will give us more say on what we do best,” said Nuwagaba.
The new cabinet decisions will greatly back the current Bill to regulate the veterinary drugs before Parliament. The bill, before the house was tabled under the Private Members Bill, by Hon. Fred Mwesigye, the Member of Parliament for Nyabushozi County.
The bill: “The Veterinary Drugs and Feeds Bill”, seeks to address the management and regulation of veterinary products in the country.
Just like Mwesigye said, Nuwagaba and the entire UVA fraternity concurred that there are defects in the current veterinary drug regulatory framework, which is not in sync with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
Nuwagaba expressed with happiness, the cabinet decision to order the Attorney General to repel the current National Drug Authority (NDA) Act.
Cabinet also directed that the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) starts the process of putting in place a new law to regulate the veterinary drugs and other biologicals in the country.
SM News has established that government has earmarked shs60 billion for the next five years to support MAAIF implement this new mechanism for drug regulation.
Dr. Mukasa Flugy, a UVA board members said that for long the National Drug Authority has been focusing on human drugs mainly.
“With the new law in offing, we (UVA) shall have a say. People have been feeding on contaminated milk, meat and eggs. No wonder cancer is on the rise. An animal is treated today and tomorrow it is slaughtered with all the drugs still evident in the meat,” said Dr. Mukasa.
He said the current law has caused untold suffering to farmers of livestock because fake drugs are being sold on the market in an undetected manner.
The President Uganda Veterinary Association, Dr, Sylvia Baluka urged the members to work professionally as per the inadequate logistics and funding.
She said the new law will not only increase revenue for cattle farmers countrywide, but also, safeguard farmers and other stakeholders against unnecessary losses incurred through use of ineffective veterinary medicines, biologicals and devices.
“There has been complaints across the country that UVA has died, let’s use the meagre available resources to serve Ugandans to avoid animal related diseases.
We are excited about the oil, but within the animals, we have gold that hasn’t been tapped,’ said Dr. Baluku.
The new bill once also seeks to establish an effective, effective and sustainable mechanism for an orderly management (diagnosis, surveillance and control) of animal disease and tick resistance to acaricides.
