PPR can become Africa's next continental animal health success

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Africa has already shown that ambitious health objectives can be achieved.
The eradication of rinderpest was a historic success of political leadership, cross-border coordination, and technical rigour. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is the next milestone.

 

Unlike human vaccination where individual records track coverage, PPR requires population-level immunity assessment through sero-surveillance and outbreak monitoring.

 

👉 The decision point is clear: commit to explicit targets for effective coverage.
 

RECs and Member States must establish/ already committed for minimum effective coverage targets of 70–80% in their national PPR control plans, with annual verification through post-vaccination sero-monitoring (FAO and WOAH, Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR, 2015).

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Why is this strategic?

PPR immunization is not only for disease control. It is a direct investment in:

  • Food security and rural livelihoods: PPR is estimated to cause USD 1,450-2,100 million in losses every year, with almost half of the losses occurring in Africa through mortality, reduced production and control costs.

  • Climate-resilient livestock systems: Protecting sheep and goats safeguards fast-reproducing, drought-tolerant assets that underpin resilience in drylands; in pastoral settings, small ruminants can supply a major share of household protein, e.g., ~55% of protein needs in one documented pastoral context.

  • Trade competitiveness under Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) : Progress toward PPR-free status strengthens SPS compliance and positions countries to capture AfCFTA opportunities; AfCFTA is projected to boost the value of Africa’s cross-border trade by ~USD 275.7 billion by 2045, and to increase Africa’s income by ~USD 450 billion by 2035- benefits that require credible sanitary status for livestock value chains

  • Continental commitments under Agenda 2063 and the Livestock Development Strategy for Africa (LiDeSA): Accelerates livestock transformation targets through productivity, resilience and market integration.

  • Health sovereignty for Africa: Shifts from crisis response to predictable prevention, strengthening veterinary services and quality assurance systems.

 

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Three strategic decisions will determine success:

  • Make immunization measurable and auditable (animals effectively covered, not just doses delivered), with standardized reporting frameworks across RECs

  • Secure vaccine confidence building on AU-PANVAC's vaccine quality control mandate

  • Synchronize regional action through REC-level coordination mechanisms and harmonized vaccination calendars (buffer zones, migration corridors, aligned calendars, and accountability)

📌 The real scale-up is moving from campaigns to an immunization system.

👉 Are we ready to steer PPR eradication as a continental public good, with clear targets for effective coverage and transparency on results, to make it Africa’s second historic animal health success?

👉 Are we ready to steer PPR eradication as a continental public good with clear targets for effective vaccination coverage and transparent reporting of results and deliver Africa’s second historic animal health success by also securing the key enabling conditions: sustainable financing beyond donor-funded projects, full integration into national budget and investment plans, and smart joint use of the cold-chain infrastructure to strengthen both animal health and public health systems?