Goats roaming around in Zimbabwe's border town of Beitbridge. ©FAO/Believe Nyakudjara

17 October 2016, Harare - Small ruminants, such as sheep and goats, play a significant role in the global livestock sector, particularly within developing countries where they are critical for livelihoods and food security. Sheep and goats have a direct impact on the economy and well-being of the population. However, the presence of infectious diseases such as Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), threaten the viability of small ruminant production.

Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister responsible for livestock in the Ministry of Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Honourable Paddy Zhanda, reiterated that small ruminants play an important economic role and the emergence of PPR was of concern. “Trade enquiries indicate that small ruminant production can still satisfy an export niche, for demand which is also not yet met in others parts of the world. Vast exports, therefore, exist in small ruminant production which complements rather than competes with other livestock lines especially cattle,” said Honourable Zhanda.

Honourable Zhanda was speaking to delegates attending the opening ceremony of a regional roadmap meeting (12 - 13 October) to discuss the implementation of the global control and eradication strategy for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), which was endorsed at a high-level meeting 18 months ago in Cote d'Ivoire.

David Phiri, the FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, said poverty alleviation through promoting sustainable livestock production and improving livelihoods of poor farmers, implies important improvement of sheep and goat health. “To that effect, it is necessary to improve production management, in particular, animal feeding, care and the control of major infectious diseases,” said Phiri.

Spread of the disease bolsters case for eradication

Sheep and goats provide their owners with a vast range of products and services. They provide milk, meat, skins, and wool throughout the year. They are cheaper to buy compared to larger animals, they reproduce rapidly, are easily sold for cash or exchanged for other staples and are often kept by women and youth. In addition to this, they are hardy animals and much better suited for challenging climatic conditions with limited grazing availability such as those that have been experienced in southern Africa following the recent El Nino induced drought.

The livestock development officer at the SADC Secretariat, Gaolathe Thobokwe, speaking at the same meeting, said controlling diseases such as PPR was imperative because small stock were increasingly becoming a major player in improving food security.

Peter Sinyangwe, representative of AU-IBAR to SADC Secretariat under the Vet-Gov programme further buttressed the importance of collaboration within the region saying it was important to that countries shared information. It was thus important, Sinyangwe said, that country representatives attended important regional meetings starting with the one scheduled for Pretoria, South Africa in November.

OIE regional representative for Southern Africa, Moetapele Letshwenyo, said the situation in the four countries in SADC that were affected was worrisome and it was vital to put efforts together to arrest any further spread of PPR southwards and instead to eventually eradicate it in the Subregion.

Coordinated approach needed to eradicate the disease

The meeting agreed to review and align the SADC regional PPR strategy with the Global Strategy. It further went on to develop and endorse roadmaps to eradicate PPR in each member state by 2030 and also established a Regional Advisory group (RAG) to support the implementation of the roadmaps and regional strategy.

The Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR (GCES), ensures the continuous assessment and monitoring of the PPR situation in countries and provides a framework for its coordinated implementation.

GCES was developed in line with the principles and draws lessons learned from the successful campaign that led to the global eradication of rinderpest in 2011, a similar disease affecting cattle and only the second disease (after smallpox) to be eradicated globally.

One of the primary activities to promote the strategy is to bring countries together through Regional Economic Communities, at regional roadmap meetings, to ensure that they work together and coordinate their actions in the fight against the plague.

Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries represent just over four percent of the global 2,1 billion small ruminant population. The distribution of PPR differs significantly in the subregion. While some countries have never reported PPR, the disease is endemic in others and a few countries have been officially recognised as free of the disease by the OIE.

Contact

Edward Ogolla | FAO Southern Africa Communications | [email protected]

Leonard Makombe | FAO Zimbabwe Communications | [email protected]