Building the right environment for implementing the PPR GEP requires a logical and structured framework for action, the full support and involvement of farmers and herders, an adapted legal framework, and strengthened VS. 

SUBCOMPONENT 1.1: PPR strategy and technical plans
Countries entering the PPR eradication step-wise approach will develop a National Strategic Plan (NSP), complemented by relevant technical plans as follows: National Assessment Plan (for countries entering at Stage 1); National Control Plan (for countries entering at Stage 2); and National Eradication Plan (for countries entering at Stage 3). These plans will be integrated with the epidemiological assessment described in Component 2. Regional Economic Communities (RECs) will also be supported in developing their own regional strategies tailored to the GCES. 

SUBCOMPONENT 1.2: Stakeholder awareness and engagement
Awareness of PPR among various participants in the small ruminant (SR) value chain is critical if they are to engage effectively in the programme. Stakeholder organizations and activities will be mapped nationally, alongside developing and disseminating advocacy, communication strategies and materials. Active partnerships between public VS and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private sector and civil society organizations will be promoted. Appropriate training for community-based animal health workers (CAHWs), operating under veterinary supervision, will be championed wherever needed. 

SUBCOMPONENT 1.3: Legal framework
An adequate legal framework is the cornerstone providing national and local authorities, and VS in particular, with the necessary authority and capability to implement measures to eradicate PPR. The OIE Veterinary Legislation Support Programme and FAO legal unit will assist countries in appropriately updating their legal frameworks to allow for this to happen. In collaboration with the RECs, the PPR GEP will facilitate regional seminars to harmonize veterinary strategy. 

SUBCOMPONENT 1.4: Strengthening veterinary services
Countries that have already had an OIE Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) evaluation will have these findings and recommendations reviewed by relevant authorities and policy-makers in the PPR GEP context. Countries in which the PVS evaluation is older than five years will be encouraged to request a PVS evaluation follow-up, or a PVS gap analysis (if not already done). PVS evaluation and gap analysis reports will be analysed by the OIE regional and subregional representations, coordinating with the relevant RECs, to better define needs.

The PPR GEP will support efforts to better understand the presence (or possibly the absence) of PPR in a country or region, its distribution among the different farming systems and, ultimately, its impact on these systems. This requires an assessment of the epidemiological situation and the establishment of a functional surveillance system. The programme will support regional laboratory and epidemiology networks in better coordination and exchange of information. 

SUBCOMPONENT 2.1. Epidemiological assessment
At the national level, PPR status will be updated annually using the PMAT. Countries will formulate a national assessment plan and undertake field assessments to identify risk hotspots and transmission pathways, through risk analysis principles applied to epidemiological systems and value chains. Regional assessments will also be carried out to maintain a country’s PPR free status, where applicable. 

SUBCOMPONENT 2.2. Strengthening surveillance systems and laboratory capacities
At the outset of the programme, the purpose of surveillance will be to inform strategy development and enable eradication. The objective is to identify populations that are critical in maintaining the virus, and then develop appropriate vaccination strategies. The programme will provide a series of training courses in outbreak investigations, participatory epidemiology and participatory disease surveillance – including syndromic approaches, epidemiology and risk assessment. It will also support the development of the FAO-led Field Epidemiology Training Programme for Veterinarians (FETPVs) to tackle PPR. Capacities for laboratory diagnostics and testing, differential diagnosis of PPR and characterization of field virus isolates will be strengthened. At regional level, at least nine Regional Leading Laboratories (RLL) will be identified and assisted in developing assured expertise, so as to quality assure diagnostic tests and support national laboratories. International/regional proficiency tests will be conducted. 

SUBCOMPONENT 2.3. Regional epidemiology and laboratory networks
The programme will establish or reinforce regional laboratory and epidemiology networks and facilitate the designation of one RLL and one Regional Leading Epidemiology Centre (RLEC) in each of the nine regions/subregions. Exchanges between national laboratory and epidemiology staff in each region will be facilitated by regional network meetings.

As set out in the PPR GCES, measures that support PPR eradication include vaccination, improved biosecurity, animal identification, movement control, quarantine and stamping out. These various tools are likely to be applied at different levels of intensity as a country moves towards PPR-free status. 

SUBCOMPONENT 3.1. Vaccination and other PPR prevention and control measures
Vaccines available currently (live attenuated forms of PPR virus) are highly effective, providing long-lasting protection. Thermostable PPR vaccines are soon expected to be available on a commercial scale. The PPR GEP will support implementation of quality standards for PPR vaccine production and delivery (best practice for storage, shipment and handling). Some countries have not completed full epidemiological assessments for PPR (Stage 1) but are actively vaccinating nevertheless. Consultations will be conducted with these countries to review their vaccination methods and ensure that campaigns are properly planned and resourced, with the involvement of the communities concerned. Depending on the assessment and surveillance data, the vaccination should be time-limited with high coverage (aiming for 100 percent vaccination coverage to achieve the necessary herd immunity in high-risk areas) to achieve elimination of PPR. The goal is to avoid or move away from the low-coverage, annual vaccination campaigns often reported. The vaccination protocol will be based on two successive years followed by the vaccination of  young animals (of four months to one year in age) during one or two successive years. A total of around 1.5 billion animals are to be vaccinated during the programme. After each round of vaccination, countries will be encouraged to conduct a Post-Vaccination Evaluation (PVE) and report findings to the FAO/OIE Secretariat. 

SUBCOMPONENT 3.2. Demonstrating PPR-free status
Around 79 countries historically free from PPR can get assistance with preparing to apply for OIE-certified PPR-free status, if they so wish, on a historical basis. For countries entering in Stage 4, their surveillance system should be able to provide evidence of the absence of PPRV infection and generate the data required to make this application to the OIE. 

SUBCOMPONENT 3.3. Control of other small ruminant diseases in support of PPR eradication
The PPR GCES advocates combining control strategies for PPR with efforts to combat other significant SR diseases, for cost-effectiveness. Where adequate epidemiological data are available, countries will be supported in formulating and implementing control plans for the SRD they wish to prioritize. The decision to combine PPR with other SRD must consider whether adequate epidemiological data are available for the prioritized diseases.

The success of the PPR GEP requires effective global, regional and national coordination mechanisms. 

SUBCOMPONENT 4.1. Global level
At global level, the PPR Secretariat –under the authority of FAO and OIE management– is responsible for the overall oversight, facilitation, consensus-building and management of the programme and its implementation, assessment, refinement and reporting. The PPR Secretariat works closely with regional organizations, reference laboratories/centres and technical and research institutions, and will promote broad partnerships with other relevant organizations. A PPR Advisory Committee was established to advise the PPR Secretariat on the programme’s ongoing relevance and achievements. A PPR Global Research and Expertise Network (PPR GREN) was set up as a forum for scientific and technical consultation, debates and discussions about PPR, encouraging innovation.

SUBCOMPONENT 4.2. Regional level
The PPR Secretariat will partner with continental and regional organisations such as AU-IBAR and the African RECs, ASEAN, ECO, GCC and SAARC, together with other relevant institutions, and the FAO and OIE regional, subregional and country offices, to support PPR eradication efforts. Each region will nominate a Regional Advisory Group (RAG) to oversee the implementation of PPR controls. The RAG will be made up of three Chief Veterinary Officers, coordinator of the regional epidemiology network, coordinator of the regional laboratory network, the PPR secretariat, two representatives from regional/subregional FAO and OIE offices, and a representative from a regional and subregional organization.

SUBCOMPONENT 4.3. National level
The programme will support countries in establishing, within the ministry in charge of livestock, a PPR national committee to facilitate consultation and promote stakeholder engagement. A PPR national coordinator will be appointed by the relevant ministry to oversee the programme’s implementation. Collaboration between neighbouring countries will be promoted to develop and implement an harmonized transboundary epizone approach to PPR eradication.