PM appeals for stronger investment to eradicate PPR

ITALY: PRIME Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has called for stronger, predictable and sustainable global investment to eradicate peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease affecting sheep and goats, by 2040.

Dr Nchemba said national ownership and domestic financing must form the foundation of eradication efforts, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), African Union, regional organisations, international financial institutions, development partners and the private sector.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during an international conference organised by the FAO on implementing the One Health approach in food and agriculture systems.

“We need to move from fragmented interventions to sustainable systems; from national plans alone to regional cooperation; and from commitments to measurable results,” he said.

Leaders participating in the conference called for increased production of PPR vaccines to enable countries to control and eventually eradicate the disease more effectively. They also stressed the need for greater investment in disease control, application of scientific approaches, research and the establishment of modern laboratories equipped with adequate personnel and technology.

FAO Deputy Director-General Godfrey Magwenzi said countries had gained important lessons from the successful eradication of rinderpest, which was officially declared eradicated in 2011.

“For PPR, we have the knowledge, tools and international cooperation needed to eradicate the disease. The challenge is ensuring longterm investment that delivers the necessary services and interventions to the last mile,” he said. Mr Magwenzi said strategic investment could deliver lasting results because the necessary tools, science, cooperation and political commitment were already in place.

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“What is needed now is sufficient investment to turn that commitment into tangible results,” he said. European Union Ambassador to Rome and Permanent Representative to the UN Rome-based agencies, Dr Martin Selmayr, said countries should draw lessons from the success of rinderpest eradication.

He said international cooperation, science and vaccines had made eradication possible, adding that PPR required a new approach rather than relying solely on repeated vaccination campaigns.

“We should use Global Gateway as a catalyst for investment,” Dr Selmayr said. He called on partner countries to invest resources in national eradication programmes, while development banks and international financial institutions should also participate. He further urged private veterinarians, vaccine manufacturers and other privatesector players to invest in disease control and service delivery, while countries strengthen cross-border cooperation. Dr Samuel Thevasagayam, Director of the Livestock Team at the Gates Foundation, said lessons from the rinderpest eradication campaign should be used to mobilise more resources for the eradication of PPR.

“The rinderpest experience teaches us that when we reach the final stage, we must mobilise resources to finish the job rather than repeat campaigns without a strategy for reaching the end,” he said.

Dr Thevasagayam said the Gates Foundation was ready to work with the European Union and countries to use its resources as a catalyst for increased national commitments and investment.

Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture Daniel Chongolo said discussions at the conference focused on changing the perception of health from being a stand-alone sector to being part of the wider food and livestock production chain.

He said the discussions explored ways of strengthening the production chain, including controlling livestock diseases in Africa such as PPR and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Mr Chongolo said the approach was important in ensuring health was protected throughout the production process, from farming and livestock keeping to the products reaching consumers.

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