ROME, Italy- The European Union has announced an additional €50 million investment to help African countries eradicate a deadly sheep and goat disease and strengthen livestock-dependent communities.
The funding will support the second phase of Africa’s campaign against Peste des Petits Ruminants, commonly known as sheep and goat plague.
A further €40 million could be mobilised through blended financing, potentially raising the new funding package to €90 million.
The announcement was made during a high-level dialogue in Rome that brought together political leaders, financial institutions and animal-health organisations to discuss PPR eradication and the control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
Participants included the Prime Minister of Tanzania, ministerial representatives from Chad, Cameroon, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso, and officials from the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Union, African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
The meeting adopted a call for PPR to be eradicated by 2040 while urging countries to develop financed investment plans for the campaign and allocate domestic resources to its implementation.
Tanzania Details Vaccine Investment
Tanzania told the meeting that it had invested in vaccination, veterinary services and the wider transformation of its livestock industry.
The country argued that eliminating PPR would protect more than animals by strengthening food and nutrition security, livestock trade and rural incomes.
Chad outlined measures to expand vaccination campaigns, improve veterinary infrastructure and support pastoral communities.
Cameroon highlighted its use of public investment to finance PPR vaccination and strengthen veterinary services, while Bangladesh and Burkina Faso shared their experiences fighting diseases that spread across national borders.
Countries Told to Cost Their Plans
IGAD called on governments and regional economic communities to prepare detailed and costed investment plans for PPR eradication and FMD control.
The regional body said clear plans would help governments quantify funding shortages, demonstrate the economic benefits of eradicating livestock diseases and attract investors.
The World Bank said it was increasing its focus on livestock development, animal health and the sustainable transformation of livestock production.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contributed proposals for mobilising investment and expanding interventions with the greatest potential impact.
Participants urged the World Bank and the foundation to support scientific and epidemiological work needed to guide eradication efforts.
Vaccination Alone Will Not Work
The Rome meeting warned that mass vaccination alone would not eliminate PPR.
Countries will also require reliable veterinary services, disease-surveillance systems, laboratory capacity and access to quality-assured vaccines.
Other priorities include accurate animal-health information, cross-border cooperation and coordinated financing from governments, development organisations and private investors.
PPR can spread between countries through livestock movements, shared grazing areas and trade routes, making regional coordination essential.
The participants proposed using existing regional livestock initiatives as models for harmonised cross-border campaigns.
They said Africa already had important foundations, including national strategies, vaccination programmes, laboratories, vaccine-production capacity and regional coordination structures.
The next challenge is to close funding gaps and implement those plans at sufficient scale.
EU Funding Expected to Unlock More Investment
The EU’s €50 million commitment will be used as catalytic funding intended to attract additional financing from governments and other partners.
The Rome declaration also called for PPR eradication to remain high on the international agenda and for political champions to use major global meetings to attract further investment.
PPR advocates are expected to advance the campaign at the next EU-Africa summit and the 2027 FAO Conference.
The meeting said investments made to eradicate PPR would also strengthen systems used to prevent and control other livestock diseases.
Improved laboratories, veterinary workforces, surveillance networks and vaccine-delivery systems could continue protecting livestock and rural economies long after PPR is eliminated.
