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Establishment of Disease Free Zones in Kenya
The Kenya government, through Vision 2030, has decided to establish disease free zones to enable the country export meat and improve earnings of livestock producers and players in the value chain. Meat production for export is expected to not only contribute to the creation of wealth but also bring about job creation and improve the general quality of life for sector players. Disease free zoning will also save on economic losses from target diseases estimated as over Sh 21 billion annually.
Eradication of infections and transboundary diseases is a very expensive and long term undertaking which all countries face. Many countries may not afford the cost of nation-wide eradication of trade-sensitive disease. However, a resource-challenged identify, a part of the country (called a zone) where through implementation of a specified programme, they can eliminate the risk of disease and thereby access international meat markets. Under the SPS Agreement, member countries of WTO agreed to recognize disease free zones as sources of animals and animal products subject to risk assessment. At the moment Kenya is not participating fully in international meat markets due to failure to pass risk assessment by potential importing countries and OIE.
The protocol for elimination of the risk of disease and other sanitary concerns has been established by the standards-setting World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The objective of disease free zoning measures is to assure countries that disease, disease-causing organisms, contaminants, toxins and prohibited substances will not be introduced into their countries through importation of animals and animal products.
DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED DISEASE ERADICATION PROCEDURES FOR DISEASE FREE ZONING PROGRAMME IN KENYA
A. DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The Disease-Free Zoning Programme will achieve zonal “free” status and acquire OIE freedom certificate for Foot and Mouth Disease, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy as well as maintain the recently acquired free status for Rinderpest.
These are the only 4 diseases which OIE officially recognizes the “free” status. However, zoning will “suppress” 8 other prevalent diseases which would otherwise impact negatively on trade or productivity, i.e. Lumpy Skin Disease, Tuberculosis, Trypanosomosis, Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia, Brucellosis, Rift Valley Fever, Sheep and Goat Pox and Peste de Petit Ruminants.
