PPR: A threat to economic resilience

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a devastating, highly contagious viral disease that poses a severe threat to sheep, goats and certain species of wild ruminants. With morbidity and mortality rates reaching up to 100% in naïve populations, PPR causes economic losses of up to USD 2.1 billion annually. Beyond its economic impact, it severely undermines livelihoods, food security and nutrition, particularly in vulnerable regions where communities depend on small ruminants as a critical source of income and stability.  

Losses caused by PPR – which include reduced productivity, lower herd income, loss of livestock and trade opportunities, disruption of supply chains, exclusion from lucrative markets, treatment and vaccination costs, and job losses in the sector – directly affect global food security and increase poverty levels, especially in rural communities. Approximately a third of the financial impact occurs in Africa and a quarter in South Asia.  

PPR control and economic development 

“The benefits of PPR eradication are so much more than the elimination of an infectious disease.” says Dr. Paula Menzies, President of the International Sheep Veterinary Association and board member of the International Goat Association, “We know what the loss of their animals from disease, starvation or conflict does, not just to the economy but also to farmers’ social stability.” On the contrary, countries free from PPR enjoy direct economic benefits and trade opportunities in lucrative markets. And, in arid and semi-arid, hard-to-reach areas, PPR eradication and improved small ruminant health can address security challenges, reduce illegal livestock movement and manage migration, especially amid growing instability and shocks from climate change. 

A prime example is the Sahel Regional Project Supporting Pastoralism (PRAPS), co-funded by governments and the World Bank, targets PPR control in the Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal). Between 2016 and 2022, 188 million doses of PPR vaccine were distributed in the region, including 32.2 million doses in 2022. In Niger, the revenue of pastoral and agro-pastoral households supported by the PRAPS increased by 24% between 2022 and 2025 and Mali recorded a 52% increase. The Sahel project does not only contribute to vaccination against PPR, but it also strengthens animal health services, infrastructures and agriculture – which, according to the World Bank, is 2-3 times more effective at reducing poverty than other sectors.

Continued commitment  

The transborder nature of the disease means its elimination requires robust coordination and partnerships between International Organisations like FAO and WOAH, regional organisations such as African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR)*, and all partners involved in the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) at both global and regional levels. In the ten years since the launch of the GCES, WOAH has remained committed to the eradication of PPR. And, as PPR continues to ravage communities – particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia which host over 80% of the world’s small ruminant population – we urge our Members to harmonise their control and eradication efforts and mobilise sufficient financial resources to ensure well equipped Veterinary Services. 

PPR has the potential to become the second animal disease to be eradicated in history following rinderpest. Its eradication would reduce world poverty and improve global food security, proving that PPR is not only about sheep and goat’s morbidity and mortality but a disease that affects the well-being of over 300 million rural families worldwide who rely on small ruminant farming. Eradicating PPR is not a cost, but an investment in a better future for all. 

---