ROME, Italy- The success of Africa’s livestock disease campaign should be measured by results on the ground, not simply by the amount of money spent, European Union Ambassador Martin Selmayr has said.
Speaking during a high-level animal-health dialogue in Rome, Ambassador Selmayr said international funding must strengthen African institutions, veterinary services and the continent’s ability to produce reliable vaccines.
“The measure of success must not be only the amount of money spent,” he said. “The measure of success should be how much additional investment our contribution can unlock.”
The European Union has announced an additional €50 million, approximately Sh7.38 billion, for the second phase of efforts to eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants across Africa.
A further €40 million, about Sh5.90 billion, could be mobilised through blended financing, potentially raising the investment to Sh13.29 billion.
Ambassador Selmayr said the new phase would shift attention from establishing a global eradication framework to implementation and measurable progress in affected communities.
“We started by setting up and enabling the global eradication architecture, and we now go towards implementation and measurable eradication progress on the ground,” he said.
PPR is a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats. It does not infect humans, but outbreaks can kill large numbers of animals, disrupt trade and destroy the incomes of pastoralists and smallholder farmers.
The ambassador said the EU contribution should attract investment from governments, development partners and private businesses, including veterinarians and vaccine producers.
He identified stronger public and private veterinary services, better laboratories, improved surveillance and reliable African vaccine production as critical to the eradication campaign.
The investment should also enable countries to finance and manage their own animal-health priorities, he said.
Ambassador Selmayr also called for stronger regional cooperation, warning that livestock diseases do not respect national boundaries.
“Transboundary animal diseases, as the name says, do not stop at borders. Neither should our partnerships and investments,” he said.
The Rome dialogue brought together political leaders, government representatives, animal-health institutions and financing partners to discuss the eradication of PPR and the control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
Participants said investments made through the campaign should strengthen Africa’s ability to detect and control other livestock diseases beyond PPR.
Ambassador Selmayr said the One Health approach must involve long-term investment in professionals, laboratories, surveillance systems and local capacity.
“Please see this as unwavering proof of our commitment to the fight against transboundary animal diseases,” he said.
“The issue for Europe has never been whether or not to engage. It is about how best to engage for the highest impact, especially in Africa.”
The meeting backed the Rome Call for the eradication of PPR by 2040, coordinated cross-border interventions and stronger domestic investment in animal health.
