Rinderpest in Africa: mobilization to eliminate the disease definitively

Bamako, November 2003 – The Director General of the OIE, Bernard Vallat, chaired the Advisory Committee of the Pan African Programme for the control of epizootics (PACE) on the 4-6 November in Bamako.

The last outbreaks of rinderpest in the world remain in a small number of African countries. The expertise of the OIE and its crucial role in the control of animal diseases world-wide contribute to the success of these actions, in particular through the assistance provided to African countries in the official recognition of their sanitary status.

The Regional Representation of the OIE which is supported by the PACE project, also contributes to the activities of the programme.

The OIE considers that the eradication of rinderpest and of other main diseases is also linked to the reinforcement of the Veterinary Services of the Member Countries.