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Global Rinderpest Action Plan (GRAP)

Global Rinderpest Action Plan (GRAP)

Through the GRAP, FAO aims to ensure continued global freedom from rinderpest by outlining the actions necessary to prepare for, respond to and recover from an outbreak.

The GRAP encompasses five phases: preparation, prevention, detection, response and recovery. As Rinderpest has been eradicated, the action plan to address the risk of re-emergence is distinct from other plans targeting transboundary animal diseases.

The GRAP also entails optimizing capacity to make diagnostic tools and vaccines available if needed, a coordinated emergency plan that can be immediately activated upon the first confirmed case, assuring both a rapid return to global freedom from the disease and necessary support for affected livelihoods. All of these phases need attention at the national, regional and international level.

In line with the GRAP, FAO:

  • leads the process of reducing the number of laboratories keeping the rinderpest virus by advocating for and offering assistance to destroy or relocate it to highly secure FAO-WOAH rinderpest holding facilities;
  • upon requests from countries to assist with virus removal from their facilities, FAO expert teams support countries with virus destruction, sequestration, facility decontamination, packing and shipping rinderpest virus containing material to rinderpest holding facilities;
  • provides scientific advice through the FAO-WOAH Rinderpest Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) on rinderpest management and bio-security for the post-eradication era.
FAO-WOAH Rinderpest Joint Advisory Committee

FAO and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) signed an agreement establishing an external FAO-WOAH Rinderpest Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) to provide scientific advice on rinderpest management and bio-security for the post-eradication era.

The joint advisory committee (JAC) is made up of seven of the most highly qualified external advisors in veterinary virology, diagnostics, vaccinology, epidemiology, contingency planning, biothreat reduction and bio-safety/biosecurity, as well as one scientific representative each from the WOAH and FAO.

One of the major priorities of JAC is to ensure secure handling and sequestration of rinderpest virus in the post eradication era. Rinderpest virus and samples remain in many of the laboratories worldwide. FAO and WOAH assist with cataloging precious virus seed to deposit in high biocontainment facilities to avoid the virus from being accidentally and even intentionally released into the wider environment.

The JAC also supports FAO and WOAH in reviewing applications from institutes wanting to become FAO-WOAH rinderpest holding facility for the secure storage ‘sequestration’ of rinderpest virus. Another important responsibility is to review applications for research involving rinderpest virus. The objectives of the research proposal should aim to protect or improve food security, human and livestock health for local and worldwide populations.

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