NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 17-The African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) has today launched a Pan African programme for the control and eradication of ‘pestes des petits ruminants’ (a highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats) in the continent.
The Bureau embarked on the programme for the period 2022-2026 on a fresh push to eliminate livestock diseases in Africa which has already hurt the livelihoods of millions of livestock farmers and it is a major threat to food security.
The AU-IBAR acting Director, Nick Nwankpa said the launch of the plan marks a milestone for our renewed effort towards enhanced resource mobilization for the control and eradication of PPR by the global target of 2030.
He says the transboundary animal disease is now endemic in nearly the whole of Africa.
‘’This disease has rapidly spread to the rest of Africa and continues to cause devastation of sheep and goats. It’s control and eradication require a phased, risk-based approach with well-coordinated and harmonized activities across all regions,’’ Nwankpa stated.
According to AU-IBAR, out of the population of 821.3 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 63 per cent live in rural areas and derive their livelihoods and household food security from livestock, mostly small ruminants and poultry.
These populations mainly drawn from the Arid and semi-arid lands face challenges of extreme poverty, high gender inequality, vulnerability to drought and the impacts of climate change and poor resilience to drought and other crises.
This disease has significant impacts on livelihoods particularly those of small holders.
The AU-IBAR has further urged partners to focus attention on this key impediment to the implementation of the global, continental, regional and nation PPR programs.
The overall objective of this plan is to contribute to food security, poverty alleviation and resilience of livestock-dependent communities in Africa and the economic growth of the affected countries hence.
Africa has a population of more than one billion people and this is expected to grow at a rate of 2.3 per cent each year.
It is projected that the global human population will increase from 7 billion in 2015 to 9.6 billion in 2050 and that 50 per cent of this increase will in Africa.
This growth in population is accompanied by a rising demand for animal products that presents opportunities for a wide range of actors in Africa’s livestock value chains.
The continental bureau for Animal Resources is expected to commemorate the 70th anniversary since its formation on Friday.
