PAN-AFRICAN PROGRAMME FOR THE CONTROL OF EPIZOOTICS

In Africa, the European Union supported a continent-wide fight against rinderpest, through the Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC), which ended on 31 October 1999, after thirteen years of successful implementation. The Commission of the European Communities and the Organization of African Unity Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (OAU/IBAR) signed the Financing Agreement of the Pan-African Programme for the Control of Epizootics (PACE) on 5 July 1999 and 30 August 1999, respectively. The PACE Programme will build on the achievements of PARC to eradicate rinderpest from Africa and set up a Pan-African network for the control of epizootics. The OAU/TBAR will co-ordinate the implementation of the PACE Programme, which will cover 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Technical and Administrative Provisions of the Programme's Financing Agreement stipulate that the programme should start with the arrival of the Main Technical Assistant of PACE on 31 October 1999. He arrived in Nairobi on 30 October 1999. The Programme will end on 31 October 2004. The bulk of the Programme's EDF funds (67%) will support national operations that will be planned and implemented in each country. These operations will be provided with a range of Common Services, which OAU/IBAR will co-ordinate at sub-regional and regional levels. The PACE Programme will contribute to the goal of reducing poverty among those involved in stock farming by improving productivity, thereby improving their livelihoods and enhancing food security. The Programme's vision is improved prevention and progressive control of the major epizootic diseases by providing a sound technical basis and enhanced national decision support and for strategic animal health management, at national and regional levels. The purpose of the PACE Programme is to revitalize animal health services through strengthening national and regional capabilities to sustain surveillance as well as strategic control of major animal diseases and to improve animal health care, in 32 sub-Saharan countries. This consolidated work programme and cost estimate is the first of the series of work programmes for the PACE Programme's national components.