Southern African countries are set to benefit from a new initiative aimed at strengthening their capacity to respond to plant health emergencies, including the introduction and spread of transboundary plant diseases. Among the major threats to economic growth and sustainable development in the region are the increasing occurrences of transboundary plant diseases, such as Fusarium wilt caused by Tropical Race 4 and Banana Bunchy Top Virus. These diseases pose a significant risk to the production of bananas, which is a critical agricultural commodity in Africa, providing food and livelihoods to millions of people on the continent. Although Fusarium wilt is currently known to be present only in Mozambique and Mayotte Island, the potential for it to spread to other countries in the subregion is a significant concern. Meanwhile, Banana Bunchy Top Virus is the most devastating virus disease of bananas.

To address these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the support of the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-USAID is organizing a workshop on "Strengthening Plant Health Emergency Management Capacities of the SADC Countries" in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 5-9 June 2023.

The workshop brought together representatives of national plant protection organizations from 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to discuss the status of Fusarium wilt and Banana Bunchy Top Virus disease and support the development of national contingency and action plans to prevent the introduction of the pathogens and contain and manage those pathogens if they are already officially reported. The initiative is part of the implementation of the global project OSRO/GLO/208/USA and aims to build alliances between all relevant stakeholders, including Stellenbosch University, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), SADC Secretariat, and  The Interafrican Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC), to strengthen member countries' emergency management capacities.

By strengthening the region's capacity for emergency preparedness and response, the initiative hopes to minimize the risks and impacts of plant health emergencies and support the sustainable development of the region.