| dc.description.abstract | Animal health is a prior condition for the development of livestock farming and the rural world in
Africa where, despite meat imports in particular, the population does not get proper amounts of
animal protein. Animal diseases are one of the main reasons for this shortage because of their
direct effects on livestock — mortality, drops in production etc. In addition the current situation of
health insecurity discourages investment in the sector.
Epizootics as a constraint to trade in animal products.
The Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC) has been co-financed by the European
Community (EC) since 1986. It has already done a great deal to improve animal health security
by combating rinderpest, one of the most devastating contagious diseases of cattle. PARC's
positive results, confirmed by an independent evaluation in 1996/97, offer a firm basis for
eradicating rinderpest and controlling other major diseases.
The idea behind the PACE Programme is to build on the headway made in the campaign against
rinderpest in order to establish lower-cost national and continental epidemiological surveillance
networks for the main animal diseases, provide the countries with the capacities needed to
organise economically and technically justified control programmes and develop effective and
sustainable distribution of veterinary products and services.
The five-year PACE programme will cover 32 sub-Saharan African countries. It will be
coordinated by the Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (IBAR) of the Organisation of
African Unity (OAU). A participatory approach will be adopted so that livestock farmers and
animal health professionals will be involved in implementing the programme. All animal product
consumers will benefit from the PACE Programme, as well as the national economies of the
participating countries.
The programme will include national operations planned and implemented in each country and
also sub-regional and regional support and coordinatica components. By creating an appropriate
health security framework, the PACE programme will remove one of the major constraints on the
development of the livestock fanning sector. It will thus help to improve farmers' incomes and
people's general living conditions. Other programmes can be developed to back up these
activities, for example in support of the necessary increases in animal productivity.
Its financial return will be at least 19% in 10 years and the transfer of technical capacity on the
ground will ensure that its effects are sustainable. The total cost of the programme is EUR 72
million, some 74% for the national components and 26% for services common to the various
countries (regional component), including contingencies. It will last for five years. | |
