Sheep and goats are one of the most important economic and social assets of poor people who live in rural areas worldwide. According to the World Bank, two thirds of the world’s poor people live in rural areas and most of them keep livestock, particularly small ruminants. Considering its socio-economic impact to many rural families, FAO and OIE developed the Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) Global Control and Eradication Strategy to protect small ruminants from this deadly disease, hence safeguard livelihoods of the vulnerable population.
Good supply and distribution of PPR vaccine in compliance with OIE standards are crucial to the success of PPR control and prevention. As part of the PPR Global Control and Eradication Strategy, FAO and OIE organized the fourth PPR vaccine producers’ workshop to strengthen partnerships with PPR vaccine producers and exchanged the latest information on PPR vaccine production and implementation. Through the workshop, participants provided updates on the progress of the development of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for PPR thermotolerant vaccines by the Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre of the African Union (AU-PANVAC) and informed about the new generation of PPR vaccines and combined vaccines and how to rationalize implementation of vaccines in the field.
The event was consisted with interactive sessions including various presentations delivered by reference laboratories including PANVAC, vaccines manufacturers, experience on vaccination from selected countries and breakout room discussions to exchange the situation, challenges, and solutions with regards to vaccines production, quality control and usage. The workshop was organized under the umbrella of the Global Framework for the progressive control of Transboundary Animal Diseases.
FAO-OIE PPR Global Control and Eradication Strategy
In April 2015, the FAO and OIE International Conference for the Control and Eradication of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, approved the PPR Global Control and Eradication Strategy (PPR GCES), under the umbrella of the Global Framework for the progressive control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs).
Considering the significant roles of vaccine producers in delivering quality vaccines, biennial consultation meetings with vaccine producers have been one of the core activities of the PPR GCES. Previous PPR vaccines producers’ workshops were held respectively in Nepal (in December 2014), in Morocco (in April 2017), and in Jordan (in April 2019), attended by representatives from vaccine manufacturers and research institutions. The fifth PPR vaccines producers meeting is currently planned for April 2023.
PPR and poverty alleviation
PPR control and prevention is at the centre of policies aiming at poverty alleviation, particularly in Asia and Africa where nearly 73% of the world’s poor people live. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is arguably the small ruminant disease with the highest socio-economic impact and improving livelihoods of poor farmers in those regions implies important improvement of sheep and goat health. To that effect, it is necessary to improve production management, in particular animal feeding and care, as well as the control of major infectious diseases through vaccination.