On 26 December 2009 the African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) on behalf of the African Union Commission (AUC) signed with the European Commission (EC) a € 20 million – 24 month grant for joint management through the signature of a contribution agreement under the Action entitled: “Food Facility, EU-AU/IBAR VACNADA” for the implementation of “Vaccines for the Control of Neglected Animal Diseases in Africa (VACNADA) project in response to food crisis for intervention to reduce the negative impact of animal diseases in response to soaring food prices to help the most vulnerable countries to move towards long-term food security.

The purpose of the project is to contribute to poverty alleviation and reduce the consequences of food crisis amongst vulnerable rural African Communities in 16 ACP (African -Caribbean and Pacific Group of States) countries by improving livestock health.

The specific objectives are to reduce the impact of animal diseases namely: Peste de Petits Ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats, Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in goats; Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in cattle and Newcastle Disease (ND) in chickens through increased access and use of quality vaccines.

The programme is an emergency project administered over a 20 month period starting from January 2010.

Expected results
VACNADA has the following result areas

1. Vaccines procured from African laboratories and supplied to selected target countries
2.   Targeted animal populations vaccinated against the selected diseases
3. Production capacity and quality of selected vaccines improved within Africa
4.   Independent laboratory Quality systems strengthened on the African continent

Main activities

Result area 1 (Vaccines procured from African laboratories and supplied to selected target countries)

• Select beneficiary countries (IBAR to execute the action)
• Procurement and distribution of vaccines (ND, CCPP, CBPP and PPR) (IBAR to execute the action)

Result area 2 (Targeted animal populations vaccinated against the selected diseases) are

• Develop and/or strengthen the distribution systems (training, business plan dev, credit, infrastructure i.e. cold chain) (GALVmed to execute the action)
• Market surveys on vaccination needs (GALVmed to execute the action)
• Organise awareness creation campaign (IBAR to execute the action)
• Support vaccination Campaigns (IBAR to execute the action)
• Assess vaccination performance for PPR (coverage and sero-conversion) (IBAR to execute the action)

Result area 3 (Production capacity and quality of selected vaccines improved within Africa)

• Vaccine operation management training and technical assistance to improve production (GALVmed to execute the action)
• Essential upgrading of Lab facilities and equipment (includes maintenance and calibration) (GALVmed to execute the action)
• Provision of support mechanisms for the implementation of quality assurance (GALVmed to execute the action)
• Standardize the production process of vaccines (CIRAD and GALVmed to execute the action)

Result area 4 (Independent laboratory Quality systems strengthened on the African continent)

• Upgrade laboratory capacity of PANVAC (PANVAC to execute the action)
• Maintenance and calibration of equipment in PANVAC (PANVAC to execute the action)
• Provide Technical Assistance to improve quality assurance (PANVAC to execute the action)

The beneficiaries will include one million livestock keepers’ households in rural communities within the vulnerable household category that survive with few assets on the peripheries of the wider production systems; at least six vaccine producing laboratories in selected countries and public and private veterinary services in the target countries. There is also an important component on Capacity Building (infrastructure and human resources) for the African laboratories, so the benefits go beyond the time span of the project.

The project is implemented through joint-management upon signature of a Contribution Agreement between the European Commission and with AU-IBAR. It is coordinated by AU-IBAR in close partnership with the Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (PANVAC), the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicine (GALVmed) and the Centre for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD). The National Veterinary Authorities in the selected countries are responsible for project implementation concerning the vaccination aspect.

AU-IBAR has established Steering Committee (SC) that provides overall policy guidance and oversight of the project’s implementation.