Performance Audit Report on the Control of F MD OVERALL CONCLUSION  The effectiveness of any Foot and Mouth Disease control strategy primarily  hinges upon its ability to facilitate early detection of the disease, prompt warning  and effective prevention of disease spread as well as rapid response to outbreaks. As the audit has revealed, the essence of the strategies adopted by the DVS in  the control of the FMD, was mainly to mitigate the risk factors associated with  FMD infections and spread. However, the OAG established some challenges in  the department’s implementation of the FMD control strategies which to a great  extent increased the risk of FMD outbreaks. This was evidenced by among  others, the continued incursions by buffaloes into livestock areas/zones,  53 |  P a g e Continue exploring (in collaboration  with other relevant Ministries and  farmers)  options  of  devising  an  effective long term strategy that will  help minimise damages to fences  caused by elephants.  The  Department  continues  to  collaborate with other Ministries in  employing  mitigating  strategies.  However, all these strategies have  been applied only on a pilot basis  (small  scale)  due  to  budgetary  constraints. The  DVS  should  expedite  the  implementation of Botswana Animal  Information and Traceability System  in the entire country to complement  the current branding system and  ensure better livestock traceability  and identification.  BAITS has been rolled out to cover the  entire country where FMD vaccination  is carried out. The Current tagging in  Ngamiland is at approximately 72%.  In Chobe 86% of cattle has been  tagged. 