Who Constitutes the PPR Secretariat and Why It Is Called a “PAPS Secretariat”

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The Pan-African PPR Secretariat serves as the central coordination and facilitation mechanism for the eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) across Africa. It is referred to as a “secretariat” because its primary mandate is not to replace national or regional authorities, but to coordinate, harmonize, support, and monitor collective action toward the continental goal of PPR eradication by 2030.

The PPR Secretariat is hosted by the African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts working in close partnership with key continental and global institutions, including FAO ,AU-PANVAC and WOAH, as part of the Global PPR Eradication Programme (GEP).

The Secretariat is composed of:

  • Continental coordination and technical experts based at AU-IBAR, responsible for strategic oversight, policy alignment, monitoring and evaluation, and partner coordination.
  • Communication advocacy and visibility, ensuring consistent messaging, visibility, and stakeholder engagement across Africa.
  • Technical backstopping teams, supporting countries and regions on surveillance, vaccination strategies, diagnostics, data systems, and resource mobilization.

A defining strength of the PPR Secretariat is its decentralized regional coordination architecture.
Regional PPR Coordinators are embedded within Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs), including ECOWAS, ECCAS, IGAD, SADC.

Their role is to:

  • Coordinate PPR eradication efforts at the regional level
  • Support Member States in the development and implementation of National Strategic Plans (NSPs)
  • Facilitate cross-border collaboration, information sharing, and synchronized vaccination and surveillance
  • Serve as the critical link between national veterinary services, RECs, and the continental Secretariat

Through this structure, regional coordinators ensure that continental strategies are translated into practical, context-specific actions on the ground.

The Secretariat model allows Africa to:

  • Speak with one harmonized voice on PPR eradication,
  • Align national and regional actions with continental and global frameworks,
  • Ensure consistency, accountability, and shared standards,
  • Mobilize partners and resources efficiently,
  • Track progress toward the 2030 eradication target.

Rather than operating as an implementing agency, the PPR Secretariat functions as a strategic nerve center guiding, aligning, and accelerating collective action.

Supported financially by the European Union and implemented in collaboration with AU-IBAR, FAO, WOAH, RECs, AU-PANVAC, and Member States, the PPR Secretariat has positioned PPR eradication as a continental movement aligned with Agenda 2063 protecting livelihoods, strengthening food security, and building resilient animal health systems across Africa.