This Saturday 7 December 2019, ECOWAS officially launched, in the border town of Pamelap, a mass vaccination campaign against the Peste des Petits Ruminants in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

This campaign falls within the response to the request submitted to the Ecowas Commission in June 2019 by the Ministers for Agriculture and Livestock of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for the control and eradication of the Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR). It is part of a global approach to PPR control in West Africa, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and will enable the region to reaffirm the international political commitment to eradicate PPR globally by 2030.

As a matter of fact, the epidemic of the PPR in West Africa is a health emergency due to its rapid spread. It kills up to 90% of the animals it infects and causes significant economic losses. For households, sheep and goats constitute a safety net and a means of incomes to face difficult periods. Besides, the control and eradication of PPR through regional approaches to controlling transboundary animal diseases directly impact food and nutritional security. This has led Ecowas to develop a regional strategy for the eradication of the disease.

In attendance were the ministers in charge of livestock, several other administrative authorities of the three countries concerned, the Deputy Secretary General of the Mano River Union, the Director of the Swiss Development Cooperation in Burkina Faso, the ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, the Director of the ECOWAS Regional Animal Health Center, several other ECOWAS officials, breeders and a strongly mobilized populations of the three countries. The Ministers of the three countries have again committed themselves to working hand-in-hand with ECOWAS and technical and financial partners to make this PPR eradication initiative a success in West Africa by 2030.

It is expected from this campaign (i) effective mass vaccination, identification of vaccinated animals and deworming of small ruminants in border areas and risk areas of selected sites, (ii) sensitization of stakeholders and breeders on the need to vaccinate animals against PPR and (iii) commitment and support of policy-makers to eradicate PPR in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and West Africa in accordance with the goal of the global disease eradication strategy by 2030.

The implementation of the PPR project is coordinated by the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC) with the financial support of the Swiss Development Cooperation and the contribution of the Ecowas Commission and its three beneficiary Member States.

For Sekou Sangaré, ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, the eradication of PPR is vital for food security, income generation and improvement of the livelihoods of small ruminant breeders.