Meeting report

On the occasion of the end of the first operational year of field work of this project in East Africa, after completion of Phases I-III in West Africa, this meeting was convened by the Scientific, Technical and Research Commission of the Organisation of African Unity (STRC/OAU) to review the progress made since the inaugural meeting in 1968. It was held in Mogadiscio, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Somalia on 15/16 December 1969. Representatives of the countries participating in the project, viz. Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda and of Ethiopia (not officially included in Phase IV but actively participating with territorial means only), the donor agencies, interested countries and organizations and the executive agency STRC/OAU were present. Each participating country gave details of the operations carried out in their country and the state of collaboration with contiguous countries. As was anticipated in the initial stages of a project of this extent and intensity there were reports of shortcomings. The receipt of equipment was in many cases delayed as could be expected where the line of communication has been extended by the lack of availability of the shorter run through the Suez Canal. There was some noncooperation of stockowners in spite of much propaganda through the usual channels. Re-vaccination after earlier territorial campaigns was not understood, and some resistance to simultaneous vaccination against both rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuro pneumonia. Unfavourable climatic factors which cause deterrants to wholesale movements of herds, resistance to ear-marking and the comparative absence of rinderpest all tended to reduce the percentage of the total herd brought forward. The report includes the texts of the opening speeches of the Secretary of State for Livestock and Rural Development of Somalia, the Executive Secretary of S.T.R.C. and the International Coordinator of the Project. These were followed with a paper by Dr Plowright of the East African Veterinary Research Organization (EAVRO) on 'Other virus diseases in relation to the J.P. 15 Programme', who emphasized, that for long after the vaccination period, in the continuing control measures, it will be necessary in respect of the rinderpest-like diseases to think clearly in terms of the clinical syndromes which are known to be associated with known viral and other agents, especially those which can be shown on serological grounds to occur commonly in the areas involved. He detailed the specific features of the viral diseases likely to be encountered such as Bovine papular stomatitis, Bovine virus diarrhoea (including Mucosal disease), Infectious bovine rhinotrachaetitis, Para-influenza-3 fever, and Malignant catarrh fever. Dr D. E. de Tray (USAID Regional Livestock Adviser) contributed a paper on the economic valuation of the J.P. rinderpest campaign in Eastern Africa. The purpose of the paper was to encourage participating countries to accumulate the data of the campaign called for and even for some years before, to permit economists to analyse the economic effect of the campaign. Such an analysis for the purpose of satisfying fund-donor agencies is imperative to create the economic climate for additional financial assistance.