The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has intensified efforts to curb the spread of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats, as part of broader measures to boost livestock productivity and safeguard rural livelihoods.
At a two-day Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, stakeholders reviewed the scale of the disease and explored data-driven strategies to improve animal health outcomes across the country.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Samuel Anzaku, underscored the importance of adopting evidence-based approaches to disease control. He said the initiative would help establish reliable databases to guide targeted interventions and inform government planning.
“This meeting provides an opportunity to evaluate the burden of animal diseases in Nigeria. By establishing reliable databases, we can guide targeted interventions and inform government planning,” he said, noting that field studies would follow the national assessment.
Also speaking, the Director of Veterinary Medicine and National Focal Person for PPR, Patience Tomoh, emphasised the need for comprehensive baseline data. According to her, such data should capture the economic value of small ruminants, disease-related losses, and current spending on disease control.
She warned that PPR continues to significantly impact smallholder farmers, food security, and livestock trade, making coordinated national action critical.
Providing international perspective, Gemma Chaters of Lancaster University said her team is supporting Nigeria with technical expertise to apply the Global Burden of Animal Diseases framework. The approach is expected to quantify health and economic losses linked to PPR and guide prioritisation of interventions.
“Understanding the full impact of PPR on livelihoods and the economy is essential.
The meeting will provide the data needed for evidence-based control programmes and to prioritise areas with the highest disease burden,” she said.
