12th Regional Steering Committee (RSC12) meeting of GF-TADs for Africa

The meeting was held in 8 sessions which attracted a total of 58 participants, most of them attending in person (79%). One-third of participants were women (34%).

Members attending were the representatives of AU-IBAR and AU-PANVAC, the representative of the selected sub-regional laboratory network (SADC LTC Laboratory Subcommittee), the representatives of the Pan-African Farmers Organisation (PAFO) the African Association of Veterinary Statutory Bodies (2AVSB), and the African Association of Veterinary Educational Establishments (2A2E-V), as well as representatives of the following Regional Economic Communities (RECs) : COMESA, ECCAS and IGAD, along with country Members Nigeria and Uganda (11).

The opening session was officiated by the Bureau, i.e. the Chair and two Vice-Chairs of the RSC, Drs Huyam Salih (AU), Mohammed Shamsuddin (FAO) and Roland Dlamini (WOAH Council), as well as the Guest of Honour, the Minister of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Eswatini,  Hon. Mandla Tshawuka.

First on the agenda (governance), some Terms of Reference (ToR) of two SGEs (ASF and CBPP) were slightly amended.

“…Good morning and welcome to the 12th Regional Steering Committee meeting of the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TAD) in Africa. It is a great privilege to address you today as the Director of AU-IBAR and Chair of this vital committee.

As we come together, it is important to reflect upon the significant achievements that GF-TAD Africa has accomplished in recent years. Our collective commitment to animal health has led to positive outcomes, highlighting the power of collaboration in addressing our challenges.

The current GF-TADs regional strategy for Africa (2021-2025) provides a robust framework to tackle these issues and has identified five prioritized TADs: African Swine Fever (ASF), Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Rift Valley Fever (RVF), and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), along with other emerging or re-emerging diseases such as Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT), and African Horse Sickness (AHS). These diseases continue to impose severe economic losses on producers, jeopardizing public health and threatening trade in animal products, thereby endangering national economies and food security throughout our communities.

As we look to the future, considering the limited resources and the changing priorities at global and regional levels,  it is essential that we address these strategic issues head-on. We must explore innovative mechanisms for controlling TADs that involve active participation from the private sector, fostering investment in disease management initiatives as a pathway toward sustainability.

As we look ahead to the next phase of our strategy, it is vital that we address these strategic issues head-on. We should identify innovative mechanisms for controlling TADs that actively engage the private sector and encourage their investment and participation in disease management initiatives.

Addressing the highlighted priorities for this strategy, we have reviewed and updated the ASF control strategy for Africa, and based on the recommendations from the GF-TADs expert meeting, we recognize the necessity of formulating and implementing a continental strategy to control and eradicate CBPP, to be led by the African Union. AU-IBAR plans to achieve this by 2026.

For the PPR, the Pan African programme for PPR Eradication is being implemented through the multi-partner agreement for AU, FAO and WOAH, which supported by the European Union, and we thank the EU for this great support.

Additionally, in 2025, we aim to submit the Continental Strategy for Rabies elimination from Africa, as committed during the AU STC in 2023

In our fight against TADs, we must rethink our priorities and capacity-building activities to ensure that veterinary services across the continent are equipped and ready to detect, report, and control these diseases.

A well-established GF-TADs framework within and between the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) is vital. At AU-IBAR, we are initiating a process to support sustainable capacity building at the REC level, as highlighted in our strategic plan for 2024-2028. This includes the establishment of AU Centers of Excellence to assist member states in each REC. We have made progress with fisheries and aquatic biodiversity initiatives, and we are currently assessing the feasibility of establishing Centers of Excellence to bolster TAD control and enhance African capacities in a sustainable manner.

As members of the African Union, we must adopt approaches that will gradually lead us to self-reliance, aligning with the vision of Agenda 2063—The Africa We Want. This commitment is also reflected in the current GF-TADs strategy for Africa, which advocates for increased public-private partnerships to ensure efficient and resilient animal value chains across the continent. It is a clarion call for us to think creatively about how to balance public health priorities with private sector involvement, ensuring continued delivery and accessibility of animal health services across Africa.

We must engage with all stakeholders across the value chain, from production to processing and marketing, to craft comprehensive solutions that address the entire ecosystem of animal health. This involves fostering partnerships with research institutions, private veterinary services, agri-businesses, producers’ associations, manufacturers, and commodity groups to mobilize resources and expertise that strengthen TAD control efforts.

Now is the time to unite and plan for the future with renewed vigor and determination. We stand at a critical juncture where our resilience and adaptability will be tested. Let our discussions during this meeting focus not only on the challenges we face but also on the promising opportunities that lie ahead.

We are at a critical juncture where our resilience and adaptability will be tested. Let our discussions in this meeting be guided not only by the challenges we face but also by the opportunities that lie ahead.

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to the Kingdom of Eswatini for hosting this meeting, and I thank all delegates, experts and colleagues from AU, WOAH and FAO for your dedication to combating TADs in Africa. Through this GF-TADs collaborative framework we can make significant strides, and together we can shape a sustainable and efficient framework for animal health in our continent.

I look forward to engaging in fruitful discussions during our meeting.

I thank you.”

In addition, (other) invited speakers/experts, were:

• Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna;
• Rinderpest Joint Advisory Committee (JAC), Nairobi;
• FMD Working Group, FAO, Rome;
• ASF Working Group, FAO, Rome;
• FMD AgResults project, GALVmed, Nairobi;
• Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute (OVRI), Pretoria;
• Innovative-Diagnostics (I-D), Grabels;
• Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), Pretoria;
• Global Secretariat of the GF-TADs, Rome and Paris;
• Directorate – General for Food (DGAL, France), Paris;

The remainder of the 3-day meeting was dedicated to technical presentations and discussions, based on the below presentations, delivered by country representatives, relevant subject-matter experts and senior scientists :

• Disease-specific : Rinderpest, foot and mouth disease (FMD), peste des petits ruminants (PPR), African swine fever (ASF), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Rift valley fever (RVF), high pathogenicity avian influenzas (HPAI, specifically H5N1), Lumpy skin disease (LSD) and African horse sickness (AHS);
• Cross-cutting issues : international (VETLAB) and regional laboratory networks, epidemiology networks, strengthening of Veterinary Services, role of the Veterinary Education Establishments (VEE), role of the Veterinary Statutory Bodies (VSB), and feedback from the private sector / stakeholders (PAFO).

Recommendations emanating from this meeting are largely based on a critical review of the recommendations of the last RSC (11) and their level of implementation, along with new recommendations, pertaining to the emerging issues discussed (HPAI and LSD, primarily).

The RSC-12 also proposed that the next meeting could be organised in the first quarter of 2026, as a hybrid meeting.

A panel discussion on the current situation of Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides or Mmm) took place on day-two.

Panel members were Drs. Charles Bodjo (AU-PANVAC, Bishoftu, Ethiopia), Loïc Comtet (Innovative-Diagnostics [I-D], Grabels, France), Neo Mapitse (WOAH, Nairobi, Kenya), Mamadou Niang (FAO, Accra, Ghana)  and Huyam Salih (AU-IBAR, Nairobi, Kenya). The discussion was moderated by Dr Moetapele Letshwenyo (WOAH, Gaborone, Botswana).

A panel discussion on the current situation of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) was organised and moderated by Dr Livio Health of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute in Pretoria, South Africa.

Panelists were Dr Charles Euloge Lamien (FAO – IAEA Joint Division, Vienna), Dr Andriy Rozstalnyy (FAO, Rome), and Dr Antoinette Van Schalkwyk (OVRI, Onderstepoort), Designated Expert of the WOAH Reference Laboratory for LSD.