WOAH
Visit of the Director General to Kenya and Ethiopia (February 2026) Africa
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Signing of the visitors' book by the Director General in the office of the Director of Veterinary Services in Kabete, Nairobi. Photo (c) L. Iyadi (omsa) 2026.
On 17 February 2026, as part of her official visit to the Sub-Regional Representation for Eastern Africa in Nairobi, the Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, together with the Deputy Director General, Dr. Baba Soumare, paid a courtesy and working visit to the office of the Director of Veterinary Services (DVS), Kenya, Dr Allan Azegele.
The visit took place in part within the framework of the recently concluded PC-TAD (Prevention and Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases for the benefit of smallholder farmers) Project, which officially ended on 30 June 2025. Under this Project, WOAH supported Ethiopia and Kenya in strengthening prevention, surveillance, and disease control with particular emphasis on Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) control and eradication.
One of the key activities of PC-TAD in Kenya was strengthening vaccination campaigns through the provision of vaccines and cold chain equipment to enhance PPR control in targeted high-risk counties.
The main objectives of the meeting with the Director of Veterinary Services were:
Symbolic handover of a batch of vaccines to the Director of Veterinary Services (and WOAH Delegate), Dr. Allan Azegele (right). Photo (c) L. Iyadi (woah) 2026.
During the meeting, the Director General officially handed over: 1.15 million doses of PPR vaccine
These doses were procured through the WOAH Vaccine Bank and donated to the Government of Kenya under the PC-TAD Project.
The vaccines are earmarked for vaccination campaigns in: Embu County, Kitui County, and Tharaka Nithi County.
The objective is to boost herd immunity in small ruminants within these counties and accelerate Kenya’s progress along the global PPR eradication pathway.
Critical cold chain and vaccination equipment, supplied by WOAH. Picture (c) L. Iyadi (woah) 2026.
In addition to vaccines, WOAH supplied critical cold chain and vaccination equipment to support effective deployment and storage. The equipment supplied included:
The total value of the supplied equipment amounted to EUR 27,490.00
As part of efforts to reinforce laboratory-based surveillance and evidence-driven decision-making, the Director General also officially handed over ID Screen® PPR Competition ELISA sero-monitoring kits (22 x 10-plate kits and 2 x 4-plate) to the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
These kits will be used by veterinary research laboratories to conduct post-vaccination sero-monitoring, assess herd immunity levels, and verify the effectiveness of the vaccination campaigns. The donation strengthens Kenya’s diagnostic and surveillance capacity and ensures that vaccination efforts are supported by robust laboratory data—an essential requirement along the global PPR eradication pathway.
The meeting was attended by senior leadership and key stakeholders from Kenya’s veterinary sector, including:
The high-level representation reflected the importance of the event and the strong collaboration between WOAH and Kenya’s veterinary institutions.
Critical cold chain and vaccination equipment, supplied by WOAH. Picture (c) L. Iyadi (woah) 2026.
Dr. Allan Azegele (left) and Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran (right) in fron of the historical head office of the Kenyan Veterinary Services in Kabete. Picture (c) L. Iyadi (woah) 2026.
Critical cold chain and vaccination equipment, supplied by WOAH. Picture (c) L. Iyadi (woah) 2026.
Deputy-Director General, Dr Baba Soumaré. Picture (c) L. Iyadi (woah) 2026.
