Pan-African programme for the control of epizootics Ghana national project.

Ghana joined the international programme for the control of rinderpest code named PanAfrican Rinderpest Campaign (PARC) in 1992. At the end of PARC in March 1999, therewere still important milestones in the OIE pathway to be cleared before Ghana could bedeclared free from rinderpest.The PACE (Pan African Programme for the Control of Epizootics) being sponsored by theEuropean Union came in at the right time to enable Ghana to complete the rinderpesteradication programme and to tackle other epizootics in the country such as contagious bovinepleuro pneumonia (CBPP). Ghana is among 32 African countries participating in PACE.Under the PACE programme the country will have the necessary logistic support to conductserosurveillance for stomatitis-enteritis complex, and where necessary send specimens toworld reference laboratories for definitive diagnosis of rinderpest. This is in line with the OIEpathway of declaring Ghana free from rinderpset virus.Ghana will also participate in regional workshops in economics, epidemiology, wildlifeepidemiology, and communications under the common services of PACE.The overall objective for the programme is to increase the livestock producer incomes,especially of the small holders, to reduce the country's dependence on imports of livestockand livestock products and to reduce the financial burden on the government of services to thelivestock sub-sector.The Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is theimplementing agency and coverage shall be nation-wide covering a five-year period startingfrom October 2000 to October 2005. Ghana has the capacity to implement the PACEprogramme considering its present level of staff in the 110 districts in the country.For the five years a total amount of Euro 996,890 shall be used. This amount will be used toenhance national capacity, improve veterinary services, fight against rinderpest, and controlother epizootics in the country.The Project Co-ordinator for Ghana National PACE Programme is Dr. Samuel Achaw Ofosu.The National Authorising Officer is Mr. Griffiths Danso Apatu of the Ministry of Finance.