Regional Workshop on Coordination Mechanism, Partnership, and Advocacy for Resource Mobilization to Implement the Regional ASF Control Strategy (ASF)

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs, with a mortality rate that can reach up to 100%. Although the virus does not infect humans, its impact on livelihoods, food security, animal health, and local and international trade is devastating. Since its first identification in Africa, ASF has spread widely, and today more than 30 African countries continue to report outbreaks, with severe impacts on smallholder farmers and national economies.

Pig production plays an increasingly significant role in income generation, poverty alleviation, and food security for millions of households in Africa. Pigs are among the most accessible and fast-reproducing livestock species for low-income rural communities, yet their potential is undermined by recurring ASF outbreaks. Poor biosecurity practices limited institutional capacity, and the dominance of informal pig value chains — characterized by uncontrolled animal movement and informal slaughter — continue to fuel the spread of ASF within and across national borders.

Cross-border trade — both official and informal — remains a major driver of ASF spread. In many border areas, porous crossings and inadequate inspection systems result in uncontrolled movements of live pigs and pork products, undermining national control efforts. While official veterinary border checks exist in some countries, they often lack resources, cross-border coordination, and technical capacity to monitor and control the disease effectively.

To address these challenges, the Regional Strategy for the Control of African Swine Fever in Africa, jointly developed by the FAO, AU-IBAR, and partners, sets out a framework for reducing ASF incidence through four thematic areas: improved epidemiology and surveillance, stronger institutional capacity, better prevention and control practices, and sustainable pig production systems.

The Letter of Agreement (LoA) signed between FAO and AU-IBAR reinforces this vision and mandates the organization of a regional workshop to create a functional coordination mechanism, forge strong partnerships, and advocate for increased investments to tackle ASF control sustainably, and to discuss cross-border control of the disease. To guide this process, an experienced facilitator will be engaged to draft a practical guideline to strengthen border controls and manage informal transborder pig movements. The drafted guidelines will be discussed and enriched during the workshop.