EATIRI, East Africa Targeted Investment for Research Impact (Ethiopia and Kenya) who attended LCC CRSP All Scientists Research Meeting in East Africa, in Addis …

Abstract

The aim of the meeting was to bring all scientists with research projects in East Africa funded by Livestock Climate Change Collaborative Research systems programme (LCC CRSP) (now renamed Innovation Lab for Livestock Research), Colorado State University to foster networking and map out collaboration areas. TIRI, Targeted Investment for Research Impact, open to early-career researchers in Nepal and East Africa is a LCC CRSP Programme that identifies early-career researchers who are interested in tackling livestock production problems with innovative approaches and from fresh perspectives. The 10 East Africa TIRI scholars and 18 Nepal TIRI scholars are addressing research problems under the following Livestock Research Themes: Disease Distribution and Resiliency to Disease, Ecosystem Health: Resiliency of Socio-ecological Systems and Climate Extremes and Long-term Change. The researchers received small grants from the LCC CRSP in 2013 to pursue research with assistance from research mentors that examine how the intersections of human, environmental, and animal health are affected by changing climatic conditions. The selected research areas aim at helping make livestock production systems more resilient to increasing climate variability and severity. At the end of one year, EATIRI scholars are expected to demonstrate concrete outcomes and real potential for future impact. EATIRI scholar Peter Obimbo Lamuka research is titled “Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of zoonotic organisms in camel ecosystem and consequences on pastoralists’ public health and livelihoods”. Camel milk markets have the potential to create jobs, increase income and better livelihoods for many people in Kenya. However, these markets remain untapped because pastoralists do not have adequate veterinary resources to maintain the health of their camels to market standards. Without proper health management, camels can contract zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transferred from animals to humans), develop resistance to antibiotics and produce milk containing drug residues and antibiotic-resistance zoonotic organisms. This, coupled with the magnifying effects of climate change on zoonotic organisms, compromises the safety of camel milk and the health of camels and pastoralists. Lamuka will study current camel health practices in the pastoral communities of Isiolo County, Kenya. Lamuka plans to survey pastoralists’ camel health management practices, test camels, humans and water for zoonotic organisms and test camel milk for presence of zoonotic organisms and drug residues. The study’s results could help policy makers develop camel disease management plans and understand the need for more veterinary resources for pastoralists. Ultimately, with the results of Lamuka’s research, camel milk could meet market safety standards. “Meeting market safety requirements will lead to improved incomes and create employment,” Lamuka states in his project proposal. “This will in turn contribute to poverty reduction and improved livelihoods among the pastoralist communities in general, and particularly women and youth, who are main actors in camel milk marketing.” Follow link: http://lcccrsp.org/2013/06/profiles-of-early-career-researchers-in-east-africa/ EATIRI Scholars were:- From Kenya are: Peter Obimbo Lamuka (University of Nairobi), Bulle Hallo Dabasso and Moses Lengarite (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Marsabit. From Ethiopia are: Beyene Teklu (Hawassa University), Yibeltal Tebikew Wassie (Mekelle University), Melaku Berhe Redda (Mekelle University), Habtamu Tassew Tarekegn (Debre Berhan Research Center), Samuel Tuffa Kawo (University of Hohenheim) and Aklilu Nigussie Megos (Ethiopian Institutes of Agricultural Research).

EATIRI project coordinators Prof Richard Bowen Director, Feed the Future Innovation Research Lab and Hoag Dana, East African Coordinator (Colorado State University) and Solomon Desta (MARIL, Ethiopia)