The ECOWAS Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC) has warned that about 157 million goats and 110 million sheep across West Africa, including Ghana, are at risk from a highly contagious viral disease known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), commonly referred to as sheep and goat plague.

The regional body says the disease can record fatality rates of up to 90 percent among infected animals, posing a serious threat to livestock production and farmers’ livelihoods across the sub-region. Although the disease is not zoonotic and cannot be transmitted to humans, experts caution that an outbreak could disrupt livestock supply and potentially drive up the price of goat meat in the region.

According to the Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Animal Health Centre Dr. Koffi Eugene, livestock farming in West Africa is closely linked across borders.

“Livestock farming in the sub-region is characterized by transhumance and cross-border movements of livestock from Sahelian countries to coastal countries in search of better pastures and water points to secure the herds and ensure their productivity." he said.

To contain the threat, ECOWAS is rolling out coordinated mass vaccination campaigns across the region. “One of the main mechanisms for combating these transboundary animal diseases relies on the implementation of mass vaccination campaigns,” the Executive Director noted.