International Day of Epidemic Preparedness: Tackling PPR in Ghana to Safeguard Livelihoods and Prevent Future Crises

In observance of International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, this blog spotlights how Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) endangers rural livelihoods in Ghana and highlights the role of Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB) and the Ghana Poultry Network (GAPNET) in prevention. By underscoring community-based vaccination, robust surveillance, and farmer education, it illustrates how coordinated, One Health efforts can help avert the next epidemic before it starts.

A Case Study  in Epidemic Preparedness

In the early morning hours across Ghana’s rural landscapes, farmers tend to their sheep and goats—animals that are far more than just livestock. Small ruminants serve as a critical safety net: they generate income, provide milk and meat, and help families weather financial emergencies. But these assets face a formidable threat: Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease that can rapidly devastate entire herds. If left unchecked, PPR outbreaks can ricochet through communities and economies, compromising food security and weakening our collective ability to prevent future epidemics. 

In recognition of International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 2024, we focus the spotlight on PPR as a case study in how safeguarding animal health can help us avoid widespread crises. The fight against PPR underscores a vital point: preventing epidemics—human or animal—requires a proactive, interconnected approach that protects the health of all.

PHOTO: Farmer in Sirigu, Upper East Ghana

PHOTO: Ghana has approximately 6.35 million goats

PHOTO: VWB VETS program volunteer in Upper East Ghana

Understanding PPR and Its Impact

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), sometimes called “goat plague,” is caused by a morbillivirus closely related to the one behind the now-eradicated rinderpest. Affecting goats and sheep, PPR can cause fever, respiratory distress, oral lesions, and severe diarrhea, with mortality rates reaching up to 80% in susceptible herds (Banyard et al., 2010). Since its first description in Côte d’Ivoire in 1942, PPR has spread across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, placing tens of millions of smallholder farmers at risk.

PPR is not just an animal disease; it’s an economic and social threat. For rural families in countries like Ghana, small ruminants are a form of insurance against hardship. When PPR strikes, it can push households into poverty and unravel the fabric of local food systems.

Recognizing this, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) have set an ambitious target: globally eradicate PPR by 2030 through the Global Control and Eradication Strategy (GCES), which promotes comprehensive vaccination drives, enhanced surveillance, and sustained community engagement (FAO, 2016; WOAH, 2015).

Specifically, the GCES uses a four-stage, stepwise framework to guide countries toward eradicating the disease (Njeumi et al., 2020), as illustrated in Figure 1 (to the right). Each stage reflects a gradual shift from higher-risk to lower-risk epidemiological conditions, coupled with increasingly intensive prevention and control measures. 

This multilevel, multinational process encompasses the initial assessment of the disease situation (Stage 1), implementation of targeted control efforts including vaccination (Stage 2), progression to active eradication (Stage 3), and ultimately achieving and maintaining a PPR-free status at the zonal or national level (Stage 4). Once a country reaches Stage 4, it can provide the evidence required to apply for official PPR-free recognition.

The Situation in Ghana

Ghana’s estimated 6.35 million goats and 4.52 million sheep are not merely economic resources—they are the bedrock of rural life. Unfortunately, PPR has remained endemic since its first detection in the country in 1976, posing an ongoing challenge. The high movement of small ruminants—within Ghana and across borders with Togo, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire—heightens the risk of disease spread, emphasizing the need for coordinated, region-wide efforts.

To address this, Ghana’s National Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR has been developed in line with the Global Strategy and is supported by the African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). The plan aims to eradicate PPR by 2028, progressing toward the 2030 global target. Measures include large-scale vaccination campaigns, improved surveillance, and farmer education to enhance disease recognition and reporting.

PHOTO: GAPNET-trained Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) use the FAO’s Event Mobile Application, a national disease surveillance and reporting tool, to examine a farmer’s sick goat.

VWB’s Role: Strengthening Livelihoods Through One Health

Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB) supports Ghana’s fight against PPR through an integrated, One Health lens. Recognizing that animal, human, and environmental health are interlinked, VWB collaborates with local partners like the Ghana Poultry Network (GAPNET) to reduce PPR’s toll and help communities become more resilient.

Key areas of involvement include:

1. Supporting Vaccination Campaigns: Through its volunteer placements and partnerships, VWB helps ensure PPR vaccination efforts reach remote communities. Data from GAPNET show that, between 2018 and 2024 (excluding 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19), small ruminant vaccinations steadily expanded. For instance, in 2019, GAPNET’s efforts (with the support of visiting VETS program volunteers) vaccinated thousands of sheep and goats across multiple communities—impacting the livelihoods of hundreds of families. By 2023, they had extended vaccination campaigns to 20 communities while continually strengthening disease prevention efforts.

TABLE 1: GAPNET's Vaccination Efforts (2018-2024)

* No data available for 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 disruptions.
*People Reached (Direct): Individuals directly involved in or impacted by vaccination efforts, such as farmers whose animals were vaccinated or community members who participated in trainings.
*People Reached (Indirect): Members of the wider community who benefit from healthier herds and improved local economies, but who may not have directly engaged with the vaccination activity.

PHOTO: In 2023, VWB's VETS program volunteers with GAPNET in Ghana worked alongside alongside CAHWs, vets, and animal health officers to support PPR vaccination campaigns.

These vaccination campaigns not only protect animal health but also safeguard the livelihoods that depend on these herds, illustrating how proactive interventions build resilience and strengthen communities against the threat of PPR.

2. Community Engagement and Awareness: VWB and its local partners provide farmers with the knowledge they need to recognize and report PPR. Although no GAPNET staff have yet received formal PPR training, visiting volunteer professionals (YVPs) have raised awareness at the community level. By educating farmers about PPR recognition, these sensitization efforts encourage early reporting and swift response, stopping outbreaks before they gain momentum.

3. Capacity Building: Strengthening local veterinary capacity ensures that when signs of PPR emerge, the response is swift and effective. Through volunteer placements and collaborative projects, VWB bolsters the skills of animal health workers and trains them in accurate diagnosis, targeted treatment, and effective prevention strategies.

Scaling Up for Regional and Global Impact

Ghana’s fight against PPR is part of a broader regional and global movement. Mass vaccination and surveillance in Ghana’s Upper East, Northeast, Northern, Upper West, and Savannah Regions—areas with the nation’s largest numbers of small ruminants—create protective barriers against cross-border spread. Meanwhile, GAPNET plans to extend its activities across these five northern regions to support mass campaigns, advancing Ghana’s contribution to the global PPR eradication effort.

As we strengthen community-based animal health systems, the lessons we learn from controlling PPR can be applied more broadly. The methodologies—comprehensive vaccination campaigns, farmer training, and cross-border collaboration—also enhance preparedness against other potential epidemics, animal or human. By investing in One Health strategies today, we build resilience for tomorrow’s challenges.

PHOTO: GAPNET-trained CAHW meticulously records every farmer and animal at a mass vaccination site in Sirigu Community, Upper East Ghana.

How You Can Get Involved

Ensuring epidemic preparedness isn’t a job for governments and NGOs alone. Here are ways you can get involved:

• Donate: Your support enables vaccination drives, training programs, and vital community outreach.
• Subscribe: Stay informed on VWB's programming and partnerships that are strengthening animal health systems and preventing diseases like PPR.
• Raise Awareness: Share this story and help rally support for PPR eradication and other One Health initiatives.
• Advocate: Urge policymakers to invest in epidemic preparedness measures that have ripple effects on food security, livelihoods, and economic stability.
• Volunteer: Discover opportunities to get involved first-hand in One Health initiatives around the world with VWB.

Safeguarding Our Shared Future

Eradicating PPR is about more than controlling a livestock disease. It’s about safeguarding the cultural, economic, and social bedrock of entire communities. It’s about ensuring that families can feed their children, send them to school, and thrive in the face of uncertainty. And ultimately, it’s about strengthening health systems at every level—animal, human, and environmental—so that when the next threat emerges, we are ready.