PPR Episystem Workshop for Eastern Africa, back-to-back with PPR Cross-border harmonisation of activities in the Great Lakes Region

Background and Objectives: 

PPR remains endemic in several parts of Eastern Africa and the Great Lakes Region, where livestock mobility, cross‑border trade and shared production systems continue to drive virus circulation. These epidemiological realities require eradication strategies that move beyond administrative boundaries. 

The PPR Global Eradication Programme (GEP) Blueprint promotes an episystem approach, focusing on interconnected host populations and transmission systems that can sustain virus circulation over time. Effective implementation of this approach depends on shared data, coordinated interventions and harmonised cross‑border action. 

The objectives of the workshop were to: 

• Strengthen understanding of the episystem approach and its role within the PPR GEP; 

• Support countries in identifying and characterising PPR episystems using available data; 

• Examine how episystem analysis informs risk‑based surveillance and vaccination strategies; 

• Enhance cross‑border harmonisation of PPR eradication activities; 

• Identify priority actions, capacity needs and approaches for monitoring progress. 

The importance of national ownership, consistent implementation and translating policy commitments into concrete action was highlighted.  WOAH’s continued commitment to supporting Member Countries through coordination, technical tools, and partnerships was emphasised by Dr Neo Maptise, WOAH’s Sub-Regional Representative for Eastern Africa. 

National authorities reaffirmed their strong commitment to PPR eradication and regional collaboration, noting the critical role of livestock in food security, livelihoods and resilience. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania highlighted substantial national investments to support vaccination and traceability, complemented by partner support, including vaccine contributions. Speakers stressed that achieving the 2030 eradication goal will require not only political and financial commitment, but also strengthened laboratory capacity, effective use of evidence, and more precise, data‑driven targeting of interventions through the episystem approach. The workshop was formally declared open with a call for focused, outcome‑oriented discussions leading to practical next steps at national and regional levels. 

This was followed by mapping country-specific episystems, which were further enriched during the presentations and interactive sessions. These were considered zero-drafts and a sufficient start to focus PPR eradication efforts.  

The absence of comprehensive animal identification and traceability systems remains a significant limitation for targeting and monitoring PPR interventions. However, working within these constraints, information generated through community engagement and value chain stakeholders can provide practical insights for veterinary services. Such information can support planning and alignment of interventions to improve vaccination coverage along identified episystems, while also enhancing community‑based approaches to reach insecure and underserved areas. Administratively, countries will need to give careful consideration to how episystem‑based approaches can be operationalised in practice, particularly where transmission systems do not align with existing administrative boundaries. 

Reaching areas affected by conflict, insecurity and poor infrastructure, particularly in landlocked countries and remote or difficult‑to‑access regions, presents significant operational constraints. These challenges are compounded by limited veterinary service coverage in underserved and unreachable areas. Addressing them will require context-specific solutions, including strengthened community-based approaches, engagement of local leaders and value-chain stakeholders (internal and external), use of mobile veterinary teams, and flexible implementation modalities adapted to insecurity and access limitations. 

Political and institutional diversity further complicates implementation, especially in federal or devolved governance systems. Sustained political engagement with national and sub‑national institutions, including self‑governing and devolved authorities, is therefore essential. Operationalising episystem‑based approaches at the federal level, while ensuring effective coordination with decentralised structures, will be critical to maintaining policy coherence and consistent implementation nationwide. 

Finally, financial constraints, inadequate diagnostic capacity and limited laboratory infrastructure remain major hurdles. Overcoming these challenges will require clear prioritisation of interventions, strategic use of limited resources, strengthened collaboration with partner institutions, and greater reliance on regional or international reference laboratories and centres of excellence to provide diagnostic services, quality assurance and technical backstopping. 

The meeting was formally closed by Dr Benezeth Lutege, WOAH Delegate of the United Republic of Tanzania, who reiterated appreciation to WOAH, including the Sub‑Regional Representation, for selecting Tanzania as the host country. On behalf of the Government of Tanzania, he reaffirmed the country’s commitment to implementing the episystem approach discussed during the meeting and to continued collaboration with regional partners toward the eradication of PPR. 

As a way forward participants agreed to continue strengthening episystem‑based planning, enhance harmonised cross‑border interventions and maintain collaboration through regional platforms. These actions will contribute to sustained progress toward the global objective of PPR eradication by 2030