Goat plague ruining herders’ livelihoods

The food security implications of PPR are huge and, therefore, urgent measures need to be taken to contain its spread and eradicate it.

After the disease is contained, mechanisms aimed at rehabilitating the livelihoods of the affected communities will need to be put in place through restocking.

Control measures

According to Mr Khaemba, the ministry has applied several control measures to combat the outbreak of the disease, including PPR surveillance, animal movement restrictions (quarantines) and vaccinations.

So far, about 2.5 million animals (11 per cent of the total population) have been vaccinated.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation has supported the ministry’s efforts by providing two million doses of the vaccine.

The United Nations Development Programme has pledged US$300,000 (Sh20 million) for emergency control of PPR.

However, the PS says a number of challenges, such as inadequate funding for disease control; the highly infectious nature of the disease; mobility of pastoral systems in search of water, pasture and markets; inadequate personnel and transport logistics; and lengthy vaccine procurement processes have remained major constraints to containing the disease.

The Cabinet developed a proposal comprising two phases, the emergency phase and the non-emergency phase, to contain the problem.

The emergency phase measures will aim at preventing further spread and minimise the prevalence of the disease in the affected areas.

Reduce prevalence

The non-emergency phase will aim at reducing national prevalence of PPR from the current level to less than 10 per cent. The five-year project will cost Sh1.66 billion.

The emergency phase will require Sh557 million with project benefits being improved meat and milk production and a reduction in annual meat and milk losses.

Mr Khaemba said that the Cabinet had proposed to the acting Finance minister, Mr John Michuki, to make available the requested amount for the immediate implementation of the emergency phase as well as a further Sh275,250,000 annually for the next four years to arrest the current deteriorating food security situation and safeguard small ruminant-based livelihoods.