WOAH and FAO call on Members to strengthen global efforts to eradicate PPR 

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a devastating disease that causes significant economic and animal losses. With morbidity and mortality rates reaching up to 100% in naïve populations, this highly contagious viral disease poses a severe threat to sheep, goats and certain species of wild ruminants.

Beyond its animal health impacts, economic losses related to PPR total up to USD 2.1 billion each year. Since its first identification in 1942, PPR has spread to more than 70 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, becoming entrenched in many regions and posing a serious threat to livelihoods and fragile economies. The disease undermines livelihoods, food security and nutrition, particularly in regions where more than 330 million people, primarily smallholder farmers and subsistence communities, depend on small ruminants.  

More needs to be done to reach eradication goals 

The successful eradication of rinderpest in 2011, which highlighted the power of collaboration and concerted effort in safeguarding animal health and human livelihood, prompted the global veterinary community to elect PPR as the next priority disease for eradication alongside dog-mediated rabies. And, in 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) launched the PPR Global Control and Eradication Strategy (PPR GCES), with the ambitious goal of eradicating the disease by 2030.  

In the 10 years since the PPR GCES was launched, considerable progress has been made. Initiatives include the implementation of the Sahel Regional Project Supporting Pastoralism (PRAPS), several EU supporting PPR projects and US Defence Treat Reduction Agency (DTRA) projects among other, the launch of the Pan-African Programme for the Eradication of PPR and Control of Other Priority Small Ruminant Diseases. However, there is still much to be done.  

The continued spread of PPR into new regions and its entrenchment in endemic areas, exacerbated by limited access to veterinary services for marginalised communities, remain massive challenges to eliminating the disease. Overcoming these barriers is essential to achieving PPR eradication, safeguarding livelihoods, and strengthening food security for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. A sustained, coordinated global effort remains imperative to ensure the success of the PPR GCES and to build resilience for communities reliant on small ruminants. 

A commitment to global collaboration

Small ruminants are often the most critical — and sometimes the only — asset that some vulnerable populations rely on for survival. The eradication of PPR would unlock economic opportunities in both national and international trade, contributing to growth and stability. Sheep and goats play a critical role in the lives of farmers in many settings, particularly women and youth, who are often under-represented in public and decision-making spaces.  

Since the launch of the PPR GCES, it has been become clear that outbreaks can be managed and herd immunity progressively built through the establishment of national funding mechanisms for major animal disease prevention activities, enactment of favourable policies and regulations, investment in PPR vaccine production and diagnostics, awareness raising and training in prevention and control technologies.  

To succeed, eradication efforts must follow a well-designed, coordinated strategy, supported by strong infrastructure as well as investment in the veterinary workforce. These efforts must be prioritised and recognised as an international public good through political commitment as well as resource mobilisation. FAO and WOAH urge Members to remain committed to investing in transversal approaches that strengthen veterinary services and countries’ capacities to control and eradicate PPR, as well as other animal diseases. Together, we can protect livestock industries and safeguard the livelihoods of those who depend on them.