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The biotech products used in developing countries to improve food production and safety are often created and manufactured abroad. Using the example of cattle tick vaccines in Uganda, we highlight the value of collaborations between low-income countries and foreign partners as a means of promoting the development of biotech products for animal agriculture that are tailored to local needs and manufactured in regional facilities.
A related concern is the relevance of new vaccines to regional tick and pathogen species and genotypes. Regional manufacturers of generic products generally lack the capacity to develop new vaccines, and although large multinational companies may have the necessary capacity, they have little incentive to develop products targeted at regional diseases3. Additionally, the presence of poor-quality or adulterated drugs remains a major threat to food production and safety in many African countries2.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Government of Uganda, National Agricultural Research Organisation, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), and farmers for their support of this project.
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The authors declare no competing interests.
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de la Fuente, J., Gortázar, C., Contreras, M. et al. Increasing access to biotech products for animal agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa through partnerships.
Nat Biotechnol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-024-02300-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-024-02300-5
