FAO in Kenya

Kenya receives two million doses of PPR vaccine

04/02/2021

Nairobi -Kenya: The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations today handed over two million vaccines for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Fisheries and Cooperatives.

Speaking during the handover, FAO Representative to Kenya Carla Mucavi said FAO has been supporting the Kenya Government since 2006 when the first outbreak was detected in Turkana County.

‘Peste des Petits Ruminants is a highly contagious trans-boundary disease among small ruminants, mainly sheep and goats. Since 2006, FAO has continued to support the Government of Kenya in animal disease surveillance, focusing on prevention of disease outbreak which threatens the country’s food security as well as loss of livelihoods for livestock keepers.’

The Cabinet Secretary Hon. Peter Munya receiving the vaccines, said that PPR vaccinations from FAO was a very timey move.

‘It is with great pleasure to receive this donation of two (2) million doses of PPR vaccine from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This donation has come at a very opportune time. The year 2020 was particularly difficult for livestock keepers due to the COVID 19 pandemic.’

‘The pandemic has impacted negatively on veterinary service delivery, which has had to compete with the more pressing pandemic issues in some instances. Livestock markets were closed due to imposition of lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings. It has had serious negative impact on the hospitality industry thereby denying livestock keepers of much needed revenue from sale of live animals and their products,’ said the CS.

The Threat PPR poses 

These vaccines will be distributed to 23 counties where some wildlife species that are susceptible to PPR and interacts with small ruminants. That is: Kajiado, Narok, Taita Taveta, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Meru, Kirinyaga, Embu, Makueni, Tharakanithi, Bungoma, Nakuru as well as Nyandarua, Hombay, Laikipia, Baringo, Migori, Garissa, Marsabit, Isiolo, Turkana, Samburu.

PPR mortality rate can be as high as 80%, as experienced in Kenyan between 2006 and 2008 in herds that were not previously vaccinated. Kenya has an estimated over 45 million sheep and goats, 30 million of which are in the 23 aforementioned Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) Counties.

Cross boarder movement of animals across counties and between Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Somalia, low investment in Surveillance and Disease Control at both National and County level and within the IGAD countries, as well as the non-existent common framework for animal disease control both in country and regionally, continue to expose animals to this disease.

FAO support to Kenya so far

Since 2006 when PPR first broke in Turkana County, FAO, through various donors has invested approximately USD20m in response and prevention measures. This has averted an estimated loss of 10 million small sheep and goat stock worth Ksh 45.58 billion in revenue.

On 18 July, FAO launched and rolled out the 2017-2020 PPR Control and Eradication Strategy roadmap for control and eventual eradication of PPR in Kenya by 2027, three years ahead of the Global target of 2030.

Garissa, Tana River, Kitui, Isiolo, Samburu, Turkana and Marsabit are among the counties FAO supported to build their disease surveillance capacity by training 139 community disease reported and 30 veterinarians on participatory disease search method.

In the same counties, FAO enhanced their diagnostic capacity by equipping their laboratories with the necessary diagnostic kits and reagents, in addition to adoption of ICT, through a mobile phone and web interface tool called Epicollect, which has improved the monitoring, reporting and information sharing of PPR and other diseases. This enhanced lab capacity for the Central Veterinary Investigation Lab (CVIL). Related info:

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