Land, farming and livestock

Livestock vaccination in Somalia: PPR and CCPP

Two diseases kill the most sheep and goats in Somalia: peste des petits ruminants (PPR, 'goat plague') and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), a lung disease of goats. In 2012 the FAO targeted about 20 million sheep and goats, 60 percent of the national flock, for PPR vaccination at about USD 0.28 an animal. In early 2020 a national campaign vaccinated 14.5 million goats against CCPP, at about USD 0.40 a dose, against USD 40 to 50 to replace a dead goat.

Last checked 2026-11-13 3 sources Reading time: 2 min

Two diseases of sheep and goats

  • Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease of sheep and goats, often called goat plague. It spreads fast through flocks.
  • Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a bacterial lung disease of goats.

Sheep and goats are most of Somalia's herd and of its exports, so these diseases hit both herders and trade. See How many livestock does Somalia have?.

The 2012 PPR campaign

In 2012 the FAO ran a PPR vaccination campaign across the whole country, in five zones: Banadir, central, north-eastern, north-western and southern. About 20 million sheep and goats, some 60 percent of the estimated national small-ruminant population, were targeted (Pastoralism journal, 2018).

A blood study afterwards found that the share of animals with protection against PPR rose from 62 to 76 percent. The full cost of vaccinating was estimated at USD 0.28 per animal (same source). The FAO helped Somalia draw up a 15-year phased strategy to control and possibly eradicate PPR (same source). A joint FAO and OIE report noted that no new PPR outbreaks had been reported in Somalia since the campaigns began in 2012 (WOAH Africa, PPR advocacy paper).

The 2020 CCPP campaign

From late January to the end of April 2020, during COVID-19, floods and insecurity, 14.5 million goats were vaccinated against CCPP across Somalia, and 3.5 million animals were treated for parasites, infections and wounds in Banadir, Puntland and Somaliland (UN Somalia, 19 June 2020).

  • Cost: a CCPP vaccine dose cost about USD 0.40, while replacing a goat that died of the disease cost USD 40 to 50.
  • Where: areas included Bari (around Qardho), Togdheer, Middle Juba near the Lower Juba and Gedo borders, and Middle Shabelle.
  • Who paid: the UK's DFID bought the 14.5 million doses and paid for work in the south and centre; USAID paid for Somaliland and Puntland; the EU's ECHO co-funded central Somalia; Germany paid for medicines and equipment.

All from the same UN Somalia report, which also says livestock makes up about 40 percent of GDP and involves up to 60 percent of the workforce.

Disease and trade

Gulf buyers have stopped Somali animals over disease before, most recently from 2016. Healthy, vaccinated animals are a condition for export. See Gulf bans on Somali livestock and Rinderpest in Somalia.

Sources

  1. Pastoralism journal, 2018 · pastoralismjournal.springeropen.com
  2. WOAH Africa, PPR advocacy paper · rr-africa.woah.org
  3. UN Somalia, 19 June 2020 · somalia.un.org

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