Rinderpest Eradication Project

Rinderpest Eradication Project

General context

Southern Sudan has a long history of underdevelopment and conflict. Since independence in 1956, there has been peace only between 1972 and 1983. Millions of people have been killed, displaced or are refugees. Southern Sudan is controlled partly by the Government and mainly by different rebel groups. The prolonged conflict has created a chronic, complex emergency; development has been prevented, infrastructure destroyed, trade and transport routes disrupted, schools and health services are almost non-existent, and administrative structures are minimal. 
Widespread outbreaks of rinderpest occurred in southern Sudan in the early 1990s but the vaccination campaigns carried out by the OLS livestock programme from 1993 onwards reduced the number and severity of outbreaks to almost none. In the late 1990s, with PARC, the livestock programme began to consider options for assisting southern Sudan to achieve the eradication of rinderpest. This required a major change in strategy of stopping mass vaccination and focusing on active surveillance and outbreak investigation and control. Through this project VSF-B was involved in development and implementation of the new strategy and training of field staff for its implementation.

The southern region of Sudan has an area of approximately 650,000 square km and is bordered by the transition zone of Sudan, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. It can be divided into several ecological zones; rainforest, savannah forest, flood plains, swamp and semi-desert. Its estimated population of 7-8 million people is made up of numerous tribal groups of which the Dinka, Nuer, Murle, Mundari, Toposa and Boya are the main agro-pastoralist groups, keeping large herds of cattle, goats and sheep, and a few chickens. Other agriculturalist tribes keep smaller numbers of livestock.

Specific constraints

 The primary focus of this project is on the eradication of rinderpest virus. Widespread outbreaks of rinderpest occurred in southern Sudan in the early 1990s. The last confirmed outbreak was in 1998 in Torit County, Eastern Equatoria, and the last clinical case associated with this outbreak was in August 1998. Since that time all rinderpest rumours were false alarms or other diseases. In early 2001, reports were received from around Pibor of high mortalities in cattle with rinderpest-like clinical signs. The cause of this outbreak was not confirmed.

Cattle populations in the border areas of southern Sudan move across international borders for pasture and trade. Elimination of the endemic areas in southern Sudan is crucial for rinderpest eradication from the east and central Africa regions. This project aims to concentrate disease control activities in the suspected rinderpest endemic areas of southern Sudan in order to eliminate the remaining foci and contribute to final eradication of rinderpest from Africa.

In addressing the eradication of rinderpest this action will address problems inherent in general disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and service delivery. The capacity for disease surveillance will be enhanced by the provision of training and the mobilization of veterinary staff and CAHWs.

Objectives

Overall Objective

In common with the global framework of the PACE Programme, the "Fight Against Lineage 1 Rinderpest Virus" Project in southern Sudan has the goal of reducing poverty among those involved in livestock farming and increasing productivity, thereby improving their livelihoods and enhancing food security.

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to develop and apply appropriate systems for animal disease surveillance and control to ensure the eradication of rinderpest, thereby supporting Sudan’s livestock industry and sector.

Activities

Maintenance of adequate capacity

1. Maintenance of co-ordination office in Lokichoggio
2. Training for Sudanese vets
3. Technical support and co-ordination
4. Co-ordination with PACE Sudan, PACE Co-ordination Unit and neighboring countries

Functional Community-based delivery systems

1. Provide suitable extension materials on rinderpest surveillance and CBPP control strategies.
2. Ensure that community-based systems are functional in areas served by OLS-SS.
3. Support the long-term development of the delivery of appropriate private veterinary services.
4. Basic or refresher training of animal health workers in risk areas.
5. Assist in the development of appropriate legislation to allow privatized CAHWs.

Rinderpest eradication

1. Border harmonization meetings for coordination of all rinderpest eradication activities.
2. Develop the epidemio-surveillance system.
3. Build capacity of livestock date unit within the veterinary services.
4. Provide training in rinderpest outbreak reporting, investigation and sampling.
5. Passive surveillance: develop monthly general disease reporting and promote reporting of disease outbreaks, ensure that rumours are promptly investigated.
6. Active surveillance: support active surveillance through cattle camp and market surveillance visits, carry out participatory disease searches in areas identified as higher risk for rinderpest.
7. Facilitate a sero-survey of wildlife in the rinderpest lineage 1 risk areas, by PACE wildlife unit.
8. Appropriate performance indicators (PIs) will be developed for general disease surveillance, active disease surveillance, stomatitis / enteritis outbreak investigation and diagnosis, and sero-surveillance, following the recommendations of GREP.
9. Maintain system for submission of samples from field, support basic laboratory facility in Lokichoggio, and laboratory assistant available to carry out basic tests.
10. The project will provide rinderpest sampling kits in all locations, and will work with PACE to validate the cow-side rinderpest antigen test and filter paper serum collection.
11. Update the contingency plan for southern Sudan, maintain contingency stocks of essential supplies in case of a rinderpest outbreak.

CBPP control strategy

1. Promotion of an appropriate CBPP control strategy and provision of training in CBPP control strategy at all levels; necessary supplies will be procured; and, transport provided to enable the strategy to be implemented in areas where CBPP is a priority.

Beneficiaries

The ultimate beneficiaries of the project are the livestock owners in different areas of Southern Sudan. These herders are in immediate need of livestock products for their diets and as a source of income. All communities in southern Sudan keep livestock and utilize livestock products therefore all will be the beneficiaries of this project through reduced cattle morbidity and mortality. However, the agro-pastoralist communities, keeping large herds of cattle will receive greater benefit than their sedentary agriculturalist neighbours.