African Leaders Rally Behind Renewed Drive to Eradicate Livestock Disease Fueling Poverty
The African Union (AU) says momentum is building toward eliminating the disease, which has devastated livestock populations, disrupted cross-border trade and undermined food security, particularly in rural and pastoral communities
By : Mweru Mbugua
African leaders and livestock experts meeting in Nairobi have renewed calls for a continent-wide effort to eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease affecting sheep and goats that continues to entrench poverty across Africa
The African Union (AU) says momentum is building toward eliminating the disease, which has devastated livestock populations, disrupted cross-border trade and undermined food security, particularly in rural and pastoral communities
AU Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Director Dr Huyam Salih said the focus has now shifted to securing long-term financing to support vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance and coordinated cross-border responses
“We have strong political backing from African Heads of State through the Kampala Declaration,” Dr Salih said, noting that the priority is ensuring sustainable funding so eradication efforts are not disrupted
She added that the AU is working with the European Union and African financial institutions, including the African Development Bank, to mobilise the required resources
PPR spreads rapidly in regions where livestock move across borders in search of pasture and water, making regional cooperation critical
Kenya’s Deputy Principal Secretary for Livestock, Dr Joshua Chepchieng, said isolated national efforts would not succeed
“You cannot vaccinate in one country and ignore the neighbours,” he said. “It must be done together, across borders, and at the same time”
The disease disproportionately affects smallholder farmers, pastoralists, women and youth who rely on sheep and goats for their livelihoods. Beyond economic losses, PPR also threatens wildlife in shared ecosystems, raising broader biodiversity concerns
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Uganda’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr Bright Rwamirama, said the AU’s coordinated approach offers a realistic pathway to eradication, while Nigeria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Samuel Anzaku, described PPR as a development challenge rather than just a veterinary issue
“This disease affects livelihoods, stability and development,” Dr Anzaku said. “Livestock plays a huge role in lifting people out of poverty.”
A key outcome of the Nairobi meeting was the endorsement of Chad as Africa’s continental champion for PPR eradication, a move aimed at strengthening political leadership under the Pan-African PPR Eradication Programme
Chad’s Minister of Livestock and Animal Production, Prof Abderahim Awat Atteib, said his country is ready to spearhead collective action
“Our ambition is clear,” he said. “We want PPR eradication to be an African victory, built on unity, accountability and long-term commitment”
He urged governments to invest in veterinary services, enhance cross-border cooperation and place animal health at the centre of national development strategies
