CAPE TOWN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has lifted disease control restrictions in KwaZulu-Natal and secured six million vaccine doses as it shifts to a nationwide response to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday.

At a media briefing in Cape Town, Steenhuisen said outbreaks have now been reported in all provinces, making localized containment measures increasingly difficult to justify.

"Today, I am announcing the formal lifting of the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions within the KwaZulu-Natal Disease Management Area," he said.

Authorities will instead move toward a country-wide system of movement controls for cloven-hoofed animals, aimed at standardizing biosecurity measures while easing the economic burden on farmers.

South Africa has so far received six million doses of FMD vaccines, with additional shipments expected in the coming weeks as part of an effort to scale up immunization across the livestock sector.

According to the minister, South Africa aims to vaccinate 80 percent of its national herd by December 2026 as it seeks to contain the outbreak and restore confidence in its livestock industry.

The government has also published a Routine Vaccination Scheme in the Government Gazette, allowing livestock owners to voluntarily vaccinate animals under state supervision while the national rollout continues.

The scheme is designed to accelerate vaccination through a public-private partnership model and improve traceability in the livestock industry.

Steenhuisen said South Africa would use an upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) agriculture ministers' meeting to push for a coordinated regional response.

"Following a close study of the regionalization model used in South America, we will use the upcoming SADC Agriculture Ministers' Meeting later this month to call for a similar regional approach as well as the establishment of a regional vaccine bank," he said. ■