Rome, Italy.

COMBAT ('Controlling and progressively Minimizing the Burden of Animal Trypanosomosis') is a four-year project funded by the European Commission (EC) in the framework of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (www.combat-project.eu).

The project is coordinated by the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), it involves 21 participating institutions and 13 African countries affected by animal trypanosomosis. FAO, through the Programme Against African Trypanosomosis (PAAT), is one of the participating institutions. Within COMBAT, FAO coordinates work package 3 – WP3 (disease risk mapping, surveillance and modelling), and WP5 (streamlining of the progressive control pathway - PCP into national policies). FAO also participates in training (WP6) and project management, communication and dissemination (WP7).

COMBAT kicked off in September 2021 with a virtual meeting. In 2022 the first year progress meeting was organized by CIRAD and held in Montpellier, France (19^th–21^th September 2022). During that meeting, it was agreed that the second year progress meeting would be organised jointly by CIRAD and FAO, and that it would be held in Rome at FAO’s Headquarters. The meeting will include representatives of all COMBAT participating institutions, as well as representatives of the project External Advisory Board. Approximately 55 people are expected to attend the meeting, which will allow to review project achievements after two years of implementation and to discuss and enhance ongoing and future activities.