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This week, experts, policymakers, and international partners meet in Lusaka, Zambia, for the Regional Stakeholders’ Meeting on the Establishment of a Buffer Zone in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This is a key moment in the fight against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease that affects sheep and goats. The three-day meeting, taking place from August 25 to 27, 2025, brings together veterinary authorities from SADC member states, SADC, the EU Representative to Zambia, AU-IBAR and technical partners; World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and FAO, involved in the implementation of the EU Support for the Eradication of Peste des petits Ruminants (PPR) from Africa Programme (2023-2026) to develop a coordinated plan to protect Southern Africa from the threat of PPR while also helping to end the disease worldwide.
The meeting was formally opened by the Zambia Minister of Livestock, Honourable Kapala, who emphasised in his opening remarks that livestock in Africa are not merely a food source, but a source of dignity, wealth, and social stability. He outlined Zambia’s commitment to strengthening surveillance systems and investing in buffer zones along its borders, while also acknowledging the persistent challenges of limited resources and overstretched veterinary services. “Eradication is only possible if we work together- sharing best practices, harmonising our approaches, and supporting one another with the necessary resources,” he stressed.
The Lusaka meeting comes at a time when the international community has reaffirmed its ambition to eradicate PPR globally by 2030. During the opening technical sessions, the FAO-led PPR Global Eradication Programme (GEP) Secretariat delivered a comprehensive update on the status of the disease and the progress made toward the target. Despite important advances, PPR continues to affect over 70 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, threatening the livelihoods of more than 300 million smallholder farmers whose dependence on sheep and goats is not merely economic, but also cultural and social.
The presentation underscored that the disease imposes annual global losses estimated at USD 1.5 to 2.1 billion, making its eradication not just an animal health priority but also a developmental imperative tied to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger). Encouragingly, several countries have advanced through the Progressive Control Pathway, with some achieving official PPR-free status. Yet the road ahead is fraught with challenges: weak veterinary systems, limited funding for vaccination campaigns, porous borders facilitating cross-border spread, and competing priorities from other transboundary animal diseases.
The FAO concluded that eradication by 2030 remains feasible, but only if regional bodies intensify their coordination, pool resources, and prioritize risk-based surveillance and vaccination in vulnerable areas. The estimated global cost of eradication, around USD 1.93 billion, is considered an investment with transformative returns, unlocking food security, economic stability, and resilience for millions of rural households.
Southern Africa: A Region at Risk but Still PPR-Free
For Southern Africa, the meeting has highlighted both progress and vulnerability. Five SADC countries, as well as one zone in Namibia, are already officially recognised as PPR-free by WOAH. Most Member States have developed National Strategic Plans for PPR control, aligning themselves with continental and global frameworks. However, the region’s proximity to endemic zones in East Africa poses significant risks of incursion. Borderlands and shared grazing areas—where small ruminants move freely across national frontiers remain hotspots for potential introduction and re-infection. Zambia’s Minister of Livestock, Honourable Kapala, emphasised in his opening remarks outlined Zambia’s commitment to strengthening surveillance systems and investing in buffer zones along its borders, while also acknowledging the persistent challenges of limited resources and overstretched veterinary services. “Eradication is only possible if we work together- sharing best practices, harmonising our approaches, and supporting one another with the necessary resources,” he stressed.
Contribution of the Meeting to the Current PPR Programme
The Lusaka meeting is directly tied to the PPR Global Eradication Programme (PPR GEP) and continental initiatives championed by the African Union and AU-IBAR. Its purpose is to translate continental and global commitments into region-specific action, ensuring that SADC countries not only remain free of PPR but also contribute actively to the 2030 eradication goal.
Over three days, the meeting provides a structured platform for technical planning, policy alignment, and political commitment. The first day set the context with global updates, regional risk assessments, and country reports. The second day allowed working groups to develop practical action points on surveillance, vaccination logistics, animal movement control, and stakeholder engagement. The final day focuses on validating a regional action plan, agreeing on a SADC buffer zone map, and adopting a resource mobilization strategy to secure donor support.
Importantly, the meeting reinforces the notion that establishing buffer zones requires institutionalising regional resilience. By synchronising vaccination campaigns in border areas, harmonising surveillance protocols, and creating real-time data-sharing platforms, the SADC region aims to transform buffer zones from weak points of vulnerability into strongholds of protection.
A Shared Responsibility
International partners, particularly the European Union, have underscored their readiness to provide financial and technical support. The EU Representative to Zambia, Stefanescu Bogdan announced that it has already invested EUR 8 million in governance mechanisms through AU-IBAR and has proposed a further EUR 50 million in grants, along with up to EUR 40 million in blended financing, contingent on strong political commitment from African governments.
The meeting, therefore, stands as a critical test of collective resolve. While the technical roadmaps are clear, what will determine success is the political will of governments, the mobilisation of sustainable funding, and the sustained involvement of farmers and local communities. As the FAO’s presentation noted, the eradication of PPR is not just an animal health goal; it is a development goal.
Conclusion
The Lusaka gathering represents a significant milestone in Southern Africa’s involvement in the global campaign against PPR. The SADC region is positioning itself as a beneficiary of international efforts as well as an active contributor to the worldwide eradication of the disease by 2030 by aligning its strategies with the PPR GEP and AU frameworks.
It is anticipated that the discussions, plans, and commitments that are established over the course of these three days will result in a specific Regional Action Plan that will safeguard Southern Africa from the threat of PPR, enhance food and economic security, and reinforce Africa’s involvement in one of the most ambitious animal health campaigns of our era. The meeting in Lusaka follows previous regional meetings that have already taken place for Western and Central Africa. A regional meeting for Eastern Africa is scheduled for 1-3rd September 2025.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).