FMD control in SADC

Geographic Coverage: Southern Africa Development Community member states (Angola, Botswana, , Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, , Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe)

Duration: January 2008 – November 2009

Funding: Euro 450.000

Donor: SADC with funds from European Union

Partners: FAO ECTAD, SADC Secretariat, Departments of Veterinary Services; SADC FMD project, SADC TADs project, EU FMD Commission; TFCAs in the region

Beneficiaries: Veterinary Services in SADC member states, vaccine producers, and ultimately the livestock farmers in areas threatened by FMD

Goal: The main objective is to contribute to poverty reduction through livestock development in the SADC region

Specific Objective: To develop a medium to long terms strategy for the progressive control of FMD in the SADC region in close collaboration with SFMDP

Expected Results:
 Improved tools for managing variation in SAT-type viruses available
 Improved knowledge-base on integrating FMD control with rural development and management of TFCAs established
 Technical support rendered to the Southern African Commission for the control of TADs (SACCT)
 Strategy for the progressive control and prevention of FMD for the SADC region developed

Main activities:
 Several studies will address issues relevant to variation in SAT type viruses, namely

• feasibility of SAT antigen banks
• development of NSP tests
• antigentic cartography

 FAO will make available international expertise to support three training courses organized by SFMDP on management of FMD in the SADC region, with special consideration of the impact of TFCAs on FMD control. One training course per year will be organized.
 The SACCT will be initialized under the SADC TADs project in early 2009. FAO will facilitate its first meeting and propose to the Commission the formation of an Expert Advisory Working Group.
 Several studies will be carried out to assess the present status of vaccine efficiency, appropriateness of vaccine utilization in the field and alternative sources of vaccine supply, as a major contribution to the formulation of policy. The formulation of the policy, testing the policy and facilitation of its acceptance are the ultimate aims of the project.

As one of the outputs of the FAO Contribution Agreement (CA) to the SADC Foot and Mouth Disease Project (SFMDP) entitled ‘Regional strategy for the progressive control and effective prevention of FMD in the SADC Region’, three training workshops on management of FMD were conducted during the period between December 2008 and November 2009. International and regional experts in FMD management were recruited to train animal disease control managers from countries of the SADC region in developing appropriate FMD management methodologies through scenario analysis and problem solving. The first workshop focused on management of FMD in endemic/high risk areas (10th – 13th December 2008). During the second training( 25th – 27th August 2009), participants were provided with strategies for the management of an FMD outbreak and the last training dealt with issues of achieving freedom from FMD in vaccinated areas and requirements for proving to the OIE that freedom has been achieved (21st – 23rd October 2009).

The reports from the three workshops can be downloaded below.