EU commits Sh7.38bn to help Africa eradicate livestock disease
NAIROBI,Kenya, Sep 24— The European Union has committed Sh7.38 billion to accelerate Africa’s campaign to eradicate a contagious livestock disease threatening sheep and goats, with a further Sh5.90 billion expected…
The European Union has pledged Sh7.38 billion to aid Africa's fight against the contagious livestock disease Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), with an additional Sh5.90 billion potentially being raised through blended financing. This could increase the total investment to approximately Sh13.29 billion, significantly bolstering efforts to eliminate the disease and fortify animal-health systems across the continent.
The commitment was announced at a high-level dialogue in Rome, where African governments, international financial institutions, development partners, and animal-health organizations gathered to discuss financing for transforming agrifood systems using the One Health approach. PPR predominantly impacts sheep and goats, vital sources of sustenance, income, and assets for pastoralists and smallholder farmers.
Despite not infecting humans, outbreaks can decimate livestock, diminish household earnings, disrupt trade, and exacerbate food insecurity in communities reliant on small ruminants. The EU emphasized that PPR should be viewed beyond an animal-health issue due to its broader effects on livelihoods and rural economies. The fresh funding aims to support the second phase of Africa's PPR eradication efforts, assisting countries in enhancing vaccination and the broader systems necessary to identify, contain, and eventually eradicate the disease.
Concerns were raised that vaccination alone would not suffice to eradicate PPR. Countries require stronger veterinary services, disease surveillance, diagnostic laboratories, dependable vaccine supply and cold-chain systems, along with improved animal-health data and cross-border coordination. While Africa has national eradication strategies, laboratory networks, vaccination programs, and regional coordination structures, insufficient and unpredictable funding has hindered implementation.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) called on countries to develop fully costed national PPR plans and integrate them into broader national investment frameworks, enabling governments to pinpoint financing gaps and demonstrate the economic advantages of eradicating the disease. The funding arrives as African nations strive to safeguard livestock-dependent communities from avoidable losses and bolster the resilience of rural economies.
Representatives from Tanzania, Chad, Cameroon, Bangladesh, and Burkina Faso joined leaders from the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IGAD, and African Union institutions at the Rome dialogue. Tanzania emphasized investments in livestock vaccination, animal health, and the transformation of its livestock sector. Chad and Cameroon detailed plans to fortify veterinary services and protect pastoral communities.
The EU commitment is anticipated to assist countries in tackling gaps that have left some livestock populations beyond the reach of routine vaccination and veterinary programs.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
