Rwanda’s response to the Rift Valley Fever (RVF) outbreak is gaining momentum, with vaccination campaigns, household inspections, livestock spraying and testing being intensified across affected areas. These measures are welcome. But the apparent decline in infections should not create room for complacency. If anything, it is an argument for doubling down. RVF is not simply an animal-health problem. It is an economic shock that moves quickly through the food system and affects farmers, traders, slaughterhouses, restaurants, hotels and consumers. Livestock markets remain closed in affected areas, meat supplies have been disrupted and prices have risen. Hospitality businesses that depend on beef, goat and mutton are losing revenue, while farmers are carrying the cost of animals they cannot freely sell or move. That is why Rwanda must deploy every available tool to contain the outbreak as quickly as possible. Vaccination, surveillance, testing, vector control, movement restrictions, public education and rapid reporting must work as one system. Community health workers, veterinary professionals, local leaders and farmers are already playing an important role, but they need the resources, information, and logistical support to sustain the effort. Speed matters because every additional day of disruption carries a cost. Farmers lose income; traders lose business; restaurants and hotels lose customers; consumers face higher prices and fewer choices; and the wider economy absorbs the consequences. A prolonged outbreak can also undermine confidence in Rwanda’s livestock and meat markets long after the immediate health threat has receded. At the same time, containment must remain proportionate and evidence-based. Restrictions should be lifted only when surveillance and testing demonstrate that it is safe to do so. Equally, decisions should be communicated clearly, including regular national figures on infections, livestock deaths, vaccinations and geographical spread. The public cannot be expected to understand the trajectory of an outbreak without reliable information. The encouraging signs reported by veterinary authorities should therefore be treated not as a reason to slow down, but as an opportunity to finish the job. Rwanda has the institutions and community structures to contain RVF. What is required now is urgency, coordination and transparency. The sooner the outbreak is brought firmly under control, the sooner farmers can sell, businesses can recover, meat prices can stabilise and consumers can regain confidence.
