Written by Rahel Abiy, ILRI Maize, grown by more than 9 million smallholder farmers, has been a vital crop for Ethiopia’s food security since the drought and famine of 1984. In recent years, Ethiopia has doubled its maize production and productivity, although yields are still below optimum due to land degradation, poor access to production technologies, and climate change. To
The Vietnam Agriculture newspaper interviewed Hung Nguyen-Viet, interim lead of the Health Program at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and leader of the CGIAR Initiative on One Health, on the concept of local One Health hubs in Vietnam to improve the effectiveness of the One Health approach at the grassroots. He spoke on the sidelines of an international scientific
Thinking beyond human-to-human transmission of mpox and looking at how to prevent outbreaks in the first place is often much cheaper than managing them. One key area to focus on is how mpox spreads from animals to humans, particularly through contact with bushmeat. In a commentary in BMC Global and Public Health (Oct 2024), scientists from the International Livestock Research
Delia Grace Randolph and Tom Randolph and Brian Perry form a kind of ‘epidemiological triumvirate’: All three have worked together on veterinary epidemiological and socioeconomic research at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi, Kenya, and all three have now been awarded the highest of Swedish academic honors with their appointments of ‘Honorary Doctor of Veterinary Medicine’ by the
Ruminant livestock produce enteric methane in their multi-chambered stomachs when they digest plant matter. Most methane is released through belching—contrary to a common misconception, only about 5% of livestock methane is produced through flatulence. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) which significantly contributes to climate change. However, a recent survey in Ethiopia conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute
The focus of the World One Health Congress 2024 held in Cape Town, South Africa on 20–23 September 2024 was on improving human health by taking a holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of human, animal and environment health. The congress—the world’s largest forum dedicated to advancing the One Health agenda and community—comprised over 1400 participants from 87 countries, 400
A new report led by experts from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) uncovers the perils and promise of wild meat hunting, consumption and trade in Africa and Southeast Asia. They launched the report on 20 September 2024 at the 8th World One Health Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. The report is the first evidenced-based synthesis to focus on
One of the world’s smallest and strangest bacteria also is responsible for one of the most devastating cattle diseases. The tiny bacteria, Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides (Mmm), cause contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) when inhaled by cattle. CBPP is a huge barrier to cattle farming in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is endemic in at least 12 countries. It is estimated to cost