African Union steps up bid to eradicate disease

Delegates in a previous session at the African Union. [File]

The African Union InterAfrica Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) has launched a fresh push to eradicate pestes des petits ruminants in the continent.

The AU-IBAR ag. Director Dr Nick Nwankpa said the viral disease that is contagious as well as transboundary is hurting the livelihoods of millions of livestock farmers on the continent and it is a major threat to food security.

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), it estimates that viral diseases cause economic losses of up to $2.1 billion (Sh240 billion) in areas where it is endemic putting at risk over 300 million families that rely on livestock as their major source of livelihood.

The regions affected by PPR include; Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe where about 1.7 billion population of livestock, about 80 per cent of the global livestock population.

Addressing a meeting to validate the Pan-African PPR control and eradication programme 2022-2026 at the AU-IBAR offices in Nairobi, Dr Nwankpa said, the pestes des petits ruminants is now endemic in nearly the whole of Africa hence the need to increase efforts to eradicate the deadly animal disease.

AU-IBAR will commemorate is 70th anniversary in Nairobi tomorrow.