PPR, Small Ruminants, and the Big Stakes for Veterinary Professionals
Sheep and goats might not dominate social media feeds, but for more than 330 million people worldwide, they are everything. Small ruminants are savings accounts on four legs. They provide food, income, manure for crops, and a safety net when drought or crop failure hits. In many regions, women and young people are the primary caretakers, making small ruminant health inseparable from gender equity, youth livelihoods, and community resilience.
That is why peste des petits ruminants, or PPR, is far more than another transboundary animal disease. For veterinary professionals, it represents one of the most urgent and impactful disease control challenges of our time. PPR is a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep, goats, and some wild ruminants. In naïve populations, morbidity and mortality can reach up to 100%. The economic fallout is staggering, with global losses estimated at up to USD 2.1 billion each year due to reduced productivity, livestock deaths, trade restrictions, vaccination and treatment costs, and job losses along the value chain. When PPR spreads, entire communities feel the impact.
A Disease With Global Consequences
First identified in 1942, PPR has since spread to more than 70 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. In many endemic regions, it is deeply entrenched, undermining food security, destabilizing markets, and driving informal or illegal livestock movements. Recognizing the scale of the threat, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Organisation for Animal Health launched the PPR Global Control and Eradication Strategy in 2015. The goal is ambitious but achievable: global eradication by 2030. For veterinary professionals, this is a rare opportunity. PPR is one of the few animal diseases with the technical tools needed for eradication, including effective vaccines, reliable diagnostics, and growing international coordination. What remains is consistent implementation on the ground.
Ending PPR would do more than protect sheep and goats. It would strengthen food systems, stabilize incomes, and reduce vulnerability to climate-related shocks. Healthier flocks mean better nutrition, higher productivity, and improved access to education and health care for farming families. There is also a strong social dimension. Improving small ruminant health directly supports women, who are often responsible for daily animal care but remain underrepresented in formal veterinary systems and decision-making. Training women as community animal health workers can expand service coverage while building skills, confidence, and leadership within communities. From a One Health and development perspective, PPR eradication aligns animal health with broader goals such as economic growth, social stability, and resilience in fragile settings.
Despite the availability of vaccines, PPR continues to spread in areas where access to veterinary services is limited. Marginalized and remote communities are often the hardest to reach and the most vulnerable to outbreaks. Real-world success stories show what is possible when veterinary services are prioritized. Large-scale vaccination campaigns in Morocco and in the Sahel through the Regional Project Supporting Pastoralism have demonstrated that PPR control works when vaccination is combined with biosecurity, surveillance, and sustained investment in veterinary infrastructure.
Morocco offers a particularly instructive example. Since the 1980s, the country has invested heavily in developing its private veterinary sector, encouraging veterinarians to establish practices in rural areas. This has created a dense network of professionals who can be rapidly mobilized during vaccination campaigns, providing consistent support to farmers and reinforcing trust in animal health systems. Public private partnerships are central to this approach. When public authorities, private veterinarians, and community animal health workers collaborate, vaccination coverage improves, outbreak detection accelerates, and disease control becomes sustainable rather than reactive.
The Role of Veterinary Professionals in the Final Push
Eradicating PPR will require more than vaccines alone. It demands a well-trained, well-equipped veterinary workforce capable of delivering services in challenging environments. This includes strengthening local diagnostic capacity, ensuring vaccine quality and cold chain integrity, and investing in ongoing training for veterinarians and paraprofessionals. Veterinary professionals are also essential advocates. By engaging with policymakers, supporting inclusive training programs, and promoting science-based disease control strategies, the profession can help keep PPR eradication on national and regional agendas. For millennials in the veterinary field, PPR offers a chance to work at the intersection of animal health, social impact, and global development. It is a reminder that veterinary medicine is not only about treating individual animals, but also about shaping healthier, more equitable systems.
The World Organisation for Animal Health continues to urge its Members to renew their commitment to PPR eradication through sustained investment in veterinary services. Protecting sheep and goats protects livelihoods, empowers communities, and strengthens economies. With coordinated action, strong veterinary infrastructure, and inclusive approaches that bring services to those who need them most, PPR can become the next disease consigned to history. For veterinary professionals, the message is clear. By keeping animals healthy, we help build a more resilient and secure future for the people who depend on them.
