A success story

Rinderpest Freedom Accreditation for Pakistan

Agriculture is back bone of National economy and Livestock is back bone of
farmers which are more than the 75 % of total population in Pakistan.

Since the dawn of life on earth, the animal is a

part of human life. The threat of contagious fatal
diseases is always with human and animals. In
early years of twentieth century the wide spread
of cattle plague (Rinderpest) through out Asia,
parts of Europe and Africa made the human
being to plan to save the cattle for his food
security.

Coordinated efforts of international

organizations on mass vaccination suppressed
the disease considerably and even cleared
large area completely. In the mid 1990 under
the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme it
became clear that ultimately eradication of Rinderpest would depend on assured
elimination of the remaining reservoir of infection. In the series of FAO technical and
expert meetings which held in Rome (1996 to 1999) 6 areas of prime concern was
identified including Pakistan.
As Pakistan only came into being in 1947, her earlier Rinderpest history equates with
that of the entire sub-continent where the disease existed for centuries (Chaudhry and
Akhtar, 1972). This chapter discusses the history of Rinderpest only as it relates to
present day Pakistan.
In Pakistan after year 1947 only one major epidemic is recorded which took place
between years 1958 to 1962 and indicates that
central Punjab and most districts of the NWFP
were involved. There are no any official statistics of
deaths relating to this episode. After that outbreaks
were recorded in Balochistan in the autumn of
1967 and in the Swat District of NWFP in 1970. In
the case of the Swat outbreak, the clinical
diagnosis was said to be difficult as the classic
signs associated with virulent Rinderpest were
missing. Nevertheless, the presence of the virus
was confirmed in tests undertaken at the VRI-
Peshawar and at the Razi Institute in Teheran. In
addition it was becoming clear that a severe but poorly understood Rinderpest problem
existed in the Landhi Dairy Cattle Colony (LDCC) of Karachi District where, on an annual
basis, thousands of Rinderpest cases were occurring, mostly in the winter months. In
1969, 9000 cases were recorded while between 1970 and 1974 the number averaged
4,700 per annum. After 1975 tissue culture Rinderpest vaccine was manufactured at the
VRI, Lahore and its introduction so reduced the incidence of Rinderpest, that by 1984
the annual mortality rate in the LDCC had fallen to around 700. Although outbreak
numbers gradually diminished, Rinderpest virus continued to reach Karachi from the
interior of Sindh, especially in the early 1990.
In 1994 Rinderpest moved up to the Northern Area of Pakistan. More than 40,000 head
of cattle died in that out break before it was eradicated

The result of this tragic lesson was a request from the Government of Pakistan to FAO
and EU for technical and financial assistance Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme
(GREP) and in year 2000 a project was launched under FAO with a title TCP/PAK/ 8293.
Anticipating the need for considerable
external help in eradicating Rinderpest the
Government of Pakistan simultaneously
negotiated with the EU for funds that could
permit a coordinated national vaccination
programme.

Under TCP project Dr. Peter Roeder,

Secretary of GREP visited Pakistan and
planed a programme that could ultimately
have a profound impact on the course of the
Rinderpest eradication. Under the project
world known epidemiologists Dr. William
Taylor and Dr. Manzoor Hussain reviewed the
existed reporting system to use it to
determine where Rinderpest infection exists in the villages of Pakistan.

In late 2000 at two small confirmed outbreaks in the vicinity of Karachi were reported,
neither of which did much damage. One of these outbreaks was said to have originated
in Chichawatni District Sahiwal of Punjab but could not be back-traced to this area.

In late year 2000 a very brave decision was taken by the AHC office to halt all further
Rinderpest vaccination. This was done in a deliberate attempt to flush out any remaining
foci of infection which would then be dealt with by vaccination.

In year 2001 Dr. Jeffery Mariner International Epidemiologist and Dr. Manzoor Hussain
(FAO TCP) visited the interior of Sindh and could not find any active foci of infection.

By year 2002 it was becoming clear that, if another year passed without any reports of
Rinderpest, Pakistan would be in a position to make a declaration of provisional freedom
from infection. The idea of mass vaccination would be unhelpful from the point of view of
obscuring the epidemiological situation, and delaying the chance of going for provisional
freedom. At that point the EU very kindly accepted to take a fresh approach holding back
on Rinderpest vaccination which helped Pakistan to achieve eventual eradication and for
further eradication activities the concept of Strengthening of Livestock services project
was proposed.

In this year, a fresh approach of disease search was in consideration to find the cases of
Rinderpest, as the existing passive disease reporting system was not up to the task. The
Participatory Disease searching methodology had been developed within Africa under
the GREP umbrella and it was decided to use this approach in Pakistan under FAO
Project with the concept that the farmer is an intelligent source of information.
In mid of year 2002 Dr. Mariner inaugurated his ground-breaking training courses on
Participatory Disease Surveillance and 51 veterinary officers nominated by their
concerned provincial departments were trained with innovative techniques for harvesting
information from livestock farmers. By the end of that year PDS work had commenced in
Punjab and in 2003 it was taken up across the country. As the PDS harvested valuable
data and proposed to continue, so trainer’s training courses were also included in the
program and 6 masters trainers were trained to conduct further training courses on
Participatory Disease Search.

While the TCP project drawing to a close, and SLSP –EU programme still not finalised,
so a bridging programme was started by FAO (GCP/PAK/088-EC). This came through
the direct interest of the EU South Asia desk of the development directorate, which
allocated funds to FAO for use within a Trust Fund framework. The budget attached to
this project allowed very substantial budget for a programme of village searching, to be
undertaken by the PDS technique.

In January, 2003, with no Rinderpest report for the

previous 24 months and no use of vaccine, Ministry
of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Livestock wing)
Government of Pakistan, made a self-declaration
as Pakistan is provisionally free from Rinderpest
which was endorsed by OIE. From that point
onwards, everything related to Rinderpest changed
and activities to progress on the OIE PATHWAY to
achieve the Rinderpest freedom accreditation
focused, so that all the evidence necessary for the
further declarations of freedom from disease and
freedom from infection could be secured.

The PDS teams worked under the work plan with the coordination of provincial
departmental authorities and harvested valuable data as evidences for Rinderpest
disease free status. Under this activity more than 10000 villages were visited while
contacting 111200 farmers to explore the prevalence of different livestock disease in the
area with special concern on Transboundry Animal Disease i.e Rinderpest, FMD and
PPR. In this exercise 51 member of PDS teams and more than 4000 officers and
officials of livestock department participated under the guidance of their concerned
TADCOs, Directors and Director Generals.
.
As the PDS data demonstrated an absence of clinical presence of the disease but still it
was necessary to prove that the national herds of buffaloes, cattle, sheep, goats, camels
and yaks were truly free of Rinderpest. This requirement was the birth of
Serosurveillance and under the FAO Trust Fund project ELISA equipment was
purchased for five laboratories (DIL, Quetta; VRI, Lahore, VRI, Peshawar, CVDL,
Tandojam and NVL, Islamabad).

In year 2003 a mini survey of serology followed by a national survey was organised in
year 2004 for this national survey, the Livestock Departments were contracted to collect
samples and submit them to the nearest ELISA lab. Under the serology programme the
deputed field staff collected more than 96000 blood samples from large and small
ruminants including camels and yaks from all over the Pakistan.
The results of these national surveys were very encouraging. Back-tracing by TADCOs
indicated that the few positive samples were probably either non-specific or due to the
collection of samples from animals vaccinated before 2000.

In June 2005 the FAO Trust Fund project handed over the activities related to
eradication of Rinderpest till the final declaration as Rinderpest infection free status by
OIE. From July 2005, the EU-SLSP stepped in, to take forward and complete the
processes begun by the EU-FAO trust fund. The services of Dr Muhammad Rasheed
from Livestock department Punjab were requested by Animal Husbandry Commissioner
to keep intact the ongoing activities. With the appointment of Dr. Rasheed local
consultant Rinderpest, further Participatory Disease Search and serology activities were
completed according to the work plan. In preparation of the dossier, Dr. William Taylor
and Dr Rasheed with the coordination of office of Animal Husbandry Commissioner
collected all the evidences with relevant data and compiled in the shape of document
(dossier) ready for submission to OIE by the Secretary MINFAL Government of
Pakistan.

Government of Pakistan submitted the dossier explaining the absence evidences of

Rinderpest from Pakistan to the OIE (World Animal Health Organization) signed by the
Secretary Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Government of Pakistan and
Animal Husbandry Commissioner MINFAL on August 29, 2006. The signing ceremony
was held in the presence of representatives from international agencies and national
organization.

The submitted documents / dossier were reviewed by the Adhoc Group of OIE in
February, 2007 and same was sent to Scientific Commission with the recommendations
of Rinderpest Infection Free status for Pakistan. The Scientific commission of OIE
endorsed the recommendations of Adhoc Group and declared Pakistan as Rinderpest
infection free status in March, 2007. In the 75th session (May 20-25, 2007) of General
assembly the OIE notified the Rinderpest infection free status for Pakistan on May 22,
2007.

Success never come in a day, it needs continuous efforts, plans, team work and leader.
These efforts yield a success story of a devotion, Participation, collaboration, and
coordination of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock with the international
organizations like FAO and European Union. The focussed field activities with a clear
vision and pathway were started by Dr. Manzoor Hussain (FAO) with the technical
support of international and national experts, agencies and departments in year 2000
and completed by Dr. Rasheed (EU/SLSP) in May, 2007. The 8 year long process for
the achievement Rinderpest infection free status was completed in 7 years saving more
than 1 year’s period with expenses.

Rinderpest infection free accreditation for Pakistan is a gift from Livestock department to
livestock owners, farmers, peoples of Pakistan and Government of Pakistan to move
confidently in the national and international trade markets for significant economic boost.

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Government of Pakistan has

acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of office of the Animal Husbandry
Commissioner with and thanks to all of the participated agencies, organizations,
departments and personals especially to FAO and EU for arranging international
consultancies on the subject to move forwards in the right directions.