Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign PATTEC..PDF

Tsetse fly infestation is one of the most important constraints to ruraldevelopment in sub-Saharan Africa. By transmitting animal trypanosomosis, thetsetse fly drastically reduces the numbers of livestock available. At the sametime, trypanosomosis kills animals used for draught power, thus reducing thecapacity of farmers to open up and work the land. Tsetse transmitted sleepingsickness, affects a considerable number of people in Africa, thereby reducing theavailability of labour as well as increasing the cost of health services. Over thelast 100 years a lot of effort has been put on initiatives aimed at controlling thetsetse fly. There has, however, been limited impact in terms of reducing theproblem. Some of the areas where the tsetse fly populations were considerablyreduced have become re-infested over time. As a result, gains made are oftenlost sooner or later.African Heads of State and Government, having been under pressure from theircommunities to do something about the tsetse fly, and realizing that individualcountry solutions would not work, came to the conclusion that the tsetse problemhad to be tackled on a continent-wide basis. The OAU Summit held in Lomb,Togo, in July 2000, charged the Secretary General of the OAU with the task ofinitiating a campaign to eradicate this menace from the continent of Africa, onceand for all. The Secretary General, in turn, commissioned a Task Force,comprising experts from African countries, to formulate comprehensive strategiesand a Plan of Action for the implementation of the Decision by the Heads ofState and Government. Members of the Task Force were: J.P. Kabayo (OAU),Solomon Haile-Mariam (OAU), Daudi Waithaka (OAU), J. Mathu Ndungu(Kenya), Sadou Maiga (Mali), Charles Mahama (Ghana), William Shereni(Zimbabwe), Bado Abou (Burkina Faso), I. Sidibe (Burkina Faso), Rob Bagnall(South Africa), Assefa Mebrate (Ethiopia), A. Msangi (Tanzania), T.K. PhillemonMotsu (Botswana), Francis Oloo (Kenya), Nkurangah Charles (Rwanda), L.M.Ogwal (Uganda), Codjia Victorin (Benin) and H.G.B. Chizyuka (Representative ofPACI Peariinrial frir Afrin,n1 Thr. Tool. Cr-sr..r. ;4, Prior to the convening of the workshop, extensive consultations with internationalexperts from different parts of the world were held. The ideas and proposals thatwere contributed by the experts formed part of the resource materials used at theworkshop.