Sudan celebrates National Rinderpest Eradication today. The event is held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Faisal Hassan, Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries. Mr. Mai Moussa Abari, FAO Representative in the Sudan will participate at the event as well as dignitaries from the Ministries, Excellencies from the Embassies, prestigious donors and partnering agencies.

Rinderpest is a serious contagious disease that affect cattle and buffaloes as well as wild animals. The symptoms in affected animals are high fever, erosions in the mouth, diarrhoea and the animal rapidly become dehydrated and loose weight. About 90- 100% of the affected animals dye one week or less after showing the first signs of the disease. This has led to massive losses of livestock that caused huge economic losses and affected food security and rural livelihood in many parts of the world. When rinderpest was introduced into sub-Saharan Africa at the end of the 19th century it killed off 80- 90 % of all cattle in the region, destroying the livelihoods of farmers and pastoralists and causing widespread famine.

This declaration came after intensive efforts by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) since 1982 when the Government of Sudan requested assistance to strengthen surveillance and control of rinderpest. Several projects were implemented by FAO during that period including assistance to the government of Sudan in developing zoning strategy for control and eradication of rinderpest. With the launching in 1994 of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP), FAO led an initiative to consolidate gains in rinderpest control and to move towards disease eradication. In close association with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), GREP was conceived as an international coordination mechanism to promote the global eradication of rinderpest and verification of freedom from rinderpest, while providing technical guidance to achieve these goals. From the outset, GREP was a time-bound programme, which was expected to lead to a declaration of global freedom from rinderpest by 2011.

In Sudan, FAO took over Operation Lifeline Sudan in 2000. Since then FAO, in collaboration with partners such as the European Commission (EC) and the African Union’s Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), was involved in many activities towards rinderpest eradication. These activities included provision of laboratory equipment and supplies as well as technical support. FAO also provided training to strengthen disease vaccination, communication, surveillance and control. 

More than thousand Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) were trained and supported by FAO veterinary and livestock professionals. The CAHWs provided essential veterinary services (vaccination and treatment) to their local communities. The trained CAHWs have proved to be very resourceful in the provision of veterinary services in their respective community in a sustainable manner. The CAHWs contributed to the effectiveness of the vaccination campaigns and reaching remote and insecure areas where government staff did not reach. Additionally the CAHWs contribute to the disease control and reduction of animal losses, support the livelihoods of animal owners, and in turn increase their income through improving animal health and production. Moreover, this constitutes an alternative livelihood activity for trained CAHWs as they provide their services on a cost recovery basis.

The positive results of this proof of status have already been felt in an improved cattle trading position that will bring in tremendous economic gains to the country. On the other hand, lessons learned could help in the fight against other animal diseases.