John McDermott, currently deputy director general-research of the International livestock Research Institute has been appointed head of CGIAR Research Program 4, on Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health (photo credit: ILRI/Susan MacMillan). Shenggen Fan, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) announced on 6 Sep 2011 that John McDermott has been named … Continue reading
Category Archives: Agri-Health
Animal health and emerging diseases a focus for CIRAD in East and Southern Africa
The Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) is a French research center working with developing countries to tackle international agricultural and development issues. It’s recently updated site on it work in East and Southern Africa introduces CIRAD’s activities in the region. ‘Animal health and emerging diseases’ is one of the … Continue reading
Strengthening laboratory capacity in response to emerging pandemic threats: FAO, OIE and WHO working together
Early detection of zoonotic pathogens emerging in wild and domestic animal populations before they become a threat to human health is a priority for the public health and animal health sectors. An effective and credible laboratory service is an essential component of such early detection systems. As part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) … Continue reading
Standard-setting organizations for safe livestock trade need to evolve and collaborate more closely to meet new challenges
A new paper by by GK Bruckner, of South Africa, Ensuring safe international trade: how are the roles and responsibilities evolving and what will the situation be in ten years’ time?, outlines the changing and evolving roles and responsibilities in ensuring safe international trade in animals and animal products. Bruckner’s abstract follows. ‘The roles of the … Continue reading
CGIAR builds its funding and research, including a new program on meat, milk and fish production by and for the poor
CGIAR Research Program 3.7: One of the slides in a presentation made by ILRI at the CGIAR Fund Council meeting in Montpellier, France, in April 2011 about the program led by ILRI on ‘More meat, milk and fish by and for the poor’ (image credit: ILRI/Staal). A new research program of the Consultative Group on … Continue reading
An African cattle disease, disease-resistant cow and disease control solution
The tsetse fly, which spreads the livestock disease trypanosomosis (photo credit: ILRI/Elsworth). Aid Netherlands has picked up news of a paper published last month in a leading scientific journal about a breakthrough in determining the genes responsible for controlling a tsetse fly-transmitted disease of livestock that has devastated Africa, and held back farming on the … Continue reading
Kenya forges new pact with Horn and Middle East in old war against deadly Rift Valley fever
The pathogenesis of Rift Valley fever. Viruses 2011, 3(5), 493-519; doi:10.3390/v3050493 (image credit: A J Cann’s Flickr photostream). Kenya’s Business Daily newspaper reports that Kenya is forging a new pact in an old war against the deadly mosquito-transmitted ‘zoonotic’—human plus livestock—disease called Rift Valley fever. ‘Kenya has partnered with neighbouring stats to boost surveillance on Rift Valley … Continue reading
One Health: the 21st century challenge
In this month’s Veterinary Record, Edinburgh University’s Sue Welburn assesses recent progress in developing the One Health concept, and where the challenges remain. She argues that “One Health offers a paradigm shift in our approach towards zoonotic diseases, and is essential to meet 21st century challenges arising from globalisation, climate change and population growth. It … Continue reading
Innovative global science network to target animal diseases
In an innovative approach for the animal health sector, a global research network aimed at tackling some of the world’s most devastating animal diseases has been launched. Bringing together thousands of scientists from research organisations across five continents, as well as the pharmaceutical industry and international animal health bodies, the network seeks to improve co-ordination … Continue reading
Measuring the effects of integrated agriculture-health interventions
A recent workshop by the Leverhulme Centre for Integrative Research on Agriculture and Health (LCIRAH) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)’s Agriculture and Health Research Platform brought together health, nutrition and agriculture specialists to explore the development of common tools and methods to evaluate integrated agri-health interventions. More on the workshop Download the … Continue reading