Duration: 42 months starting from September 2025

Geographies: Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

This project adopts a dual-level approach, national and regional/global, to drive transformative change in veterinary systems. It focuses on strengthening trade-related competencies, enabling public–private partnerships, and enhancing resilient, inclusive animal health systems across targeted regions.

Four interrelated activities will be implemented in collaboration with governments, private sector actors, regional organisations, and global partners. Key thematic priorities include transboundary animal disease control (including FMD), aquaculture biosecurity, and the development of disease-free zones and compartments to facilitate safe and sustainable trade.

What the Project aims for

The initiative works at both national and regional levels to strengthen veterinary systems and support safer trade. Its focus is on practical, interconnected actions that deliver lasting change:

1. Tailored PVS‑PPP Implementation

This activity will customise and apply the PVS-PPP Targeted Support approach in selected countries to strengthen PPPs for safe trade in animals and animal products.

• Facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations to identify priority PPP opportunities
• Build the capacity of public and private actors to apply international standards
• Develop country-specific PPP roadmaps for implementation and monitoring
• Promote linkages with ongoing initiatives and market opportunities

A gender-responsive approach will be embedded throughout, ensuring equitable participation, targeted capacity building for women, and inclusive training design. Delivery will follow a blended model (virtual and in-person) to maximise reach and cost-effectiveness country‑specific roadmaps and consultations to align public and private priorities.

2. Legislative and Policy Support

This activity will strengthen the enabling environment for PPPs by translating existing national PPP laws into actionable, veterinary-specific frameworks.

• Assess legal and regulatory gaps affecting PPP implementation
• Develop practical PPP guidelines and policies tailored to the veterinary sector
• Build trust and confidence between public and private stakeholders
• Integrate gender-responsive legal provisions to promote inclusion

The work will address systemic barriers (e.g. access to finance, workforce participation, and regulatory constraints) and support broader uptake of PPP models across veterinary service delivery, inputs, and trade systems.

3. Technical Support for Safe Trade Infrastructure

Targeted technical assistance will strengthen trade-enabling veterinary infrastructure through PPPs across both terrestrial and aquatic systems:

• Terrestrial animals:

— Support the establishment of disease-free zones for priority transboundary diseases

— Enhance surveillance, traceability, and veterinary service performance

— Strengthen vaccine supply chains and workforce capacity

• Aquaculture:

— Improve biosecurity systems aligned with international standards

— Support development of disease-free zones and compartments

— Strengthen regional aquatic animal health networks

This activity builds on previous investments and focuses on delivering measurable improvements in disease control and trade readiness.

4. Strengthening Multistakeholder Platforms

This activity will reinforce national, regional, and continental coordination mechanisms to support sustainable livestock trade and disease control.

• Strengthen and operationalise PPP-focused platforms in the veterinary domain
• Facilitate dialogue, knowledge sharing, and innovation among stakeholders
• Promote inclusive participation, especially for SMEs, women-led enterprises, and small-scale producers
• Align with regional trade frameworks and existing coordination mechanisms

A phased sustainability model—including private sector engagement, membership mechanisms, and event-based revenue—will support the transition toward financially self-sustaining platforms, while maintaining neutrality through institutional backing.