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Improved surveillance needed for rinderpest-free status

    NAIROBI

    With no clinical cases of rinderpest since 1995, animal health experts are saying Ethiopia is well on track towards receiving international certification that it is free of the disease. However, such certification would remain temporary until steps were taken to prevent its entry from neighbouring countries, the All-Africa Rinderpest Eradication Campaign coordinator in the agriculture ministry, Dr Sileshi Zewde, told the official Ethiopia News Agency on Wednesday. FAO animal health specialist, Gijs Van-Klooster, confirmed to IRIN Friday that the disease is still thought to be present in South Sudan and southern Somalia. The national animal health surveillance programme was being strengthened, he said, but with a limited capacity to monitor cross-border cattle movements, herds in Ethiopia were still considered to be at risk. [for more details, see separate IRIN story of 3 August headlined “ETHIOPIA: Country on track for rinderpest-free certification”]

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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