Consolidated work programme _ cost estimate for national pace programmes of Ethiopia, Guinee Conakry, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal.

In Africa, the European Union supported a continent-wide fight against rinderpest,through the Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC), which ended on 31 October1999, after thirteen years of successful implementation. The Commission of theEuropean Communities and the Organization of African Unity Interafrican Bureau forAnimal Resources (OAU/IBAR) signed the Financing Agreement of the Pan-AfricanProgramme for the Control of Epizootics (PACE) on 57uly 1999 and 30 August 1999,respectively. The PACE Programme will build on tha achievements of PARC toeradicate rinderpest from Africa and set up a Pan-African network for the control ofepizootics. The OAU/IBAR will co-ordinate the implementation of the PACEProgramme, which will cover 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.The Technical and Administrative Provisions of the Programme's FinancingAgreement stipulate that the programme should start with the arrival of the MainTechnical Assistant of PACE on 31 October 1999. He arrived in Nairobi on 30October 1999. The Programme will end on 31 October 2004.The bulk of the Programme's EDF funds (67%) will support national operations thatwill be planned and implemented in each country. These operations will be providedwith a range of Common Services, which OAU/IBAR will co-ordinate at sub-regionaland regional levels.The PACE Programme will contribute to the goal of reducing poverty among thoseinvolved in stock farming by improving productivity, thereby improving theirlivelihoods and enhancing food security.The Programme's vision is improved prevention and progressive control of the majorepizootic diseases by providing a sound technical basis and enhanced national decisionsupport and for strategic animal health management, at national and regional levels.The purpose of the PACE Programme is to revitalize animal health services throughstrengthening national and regional capabilities to-sustain surveillance as well asstrategic control of major animal diseases and to improve animal health care, in 32sub-Saharan countries.This consolidated work programme and cost estimate is the first of the series of workprogrammes for the PACE Programme's national components.