The
historic decision by the African Heads of State and Government
to collectively embark on a tsetse eradication campaign
was both an expression of their common objective to render
Africa tsetse-free as well as a declaration of their commitment
to achieve this objective through united action.
In accordance with the decision of the African
leaders, the Commission of the African Union was assigned
the task of mobilizing and coordinating the activities necessary
for the implementation of the objectives of the PATTEC initiative.
Within the framework of this assignment, the Commission
established a PATTEC Coordination Office to help initiate
and coordinate the activities of the campaign, and inaugurated
the PATTEC Policy and Mobilisation Committee, to help mobilizing
support as well as guide and oversee the policy, activities
and management of the PATTEC initiative.
The novelty of the PATTEC initiative is
founded on the collective leadership and direct involvement
of African governments at the highest level. Its implementation
protocol within the framework of the PATTEC Plan of Action
is based on the concept, strategy, viability and principles
of the area-wide approach in pest control in the context
of the trans-boundary nature of the tsetse and trypanosomosis
problem.
The success of the PATTEC initiative will
depend on the extent to which the affected countries can
mobilise the necessary political will to mount sustained
action. Given the declared political commitment of Africa's
leaders to the objective of rendering Africa tsetse-free
in the shortest possible time, the challenge facing the
continent is now to mobilise and organise the necessary
sustained support and action for the effective implementation
of the objectives of the PATTEC initiative.
