Forty-five years of One Health-related research at the International Livestock Research Institute

Objective: Livestock are the engine of development, but disease is a major constraint to production
and risk to human health. Epidemiological research has revolutionised management of livestock
disease, and this poster reviews 45 years research by the International Livestock Research Institute
(ILRI), the only international agricultural research institute focused on livestock.
Materials and Methods: Over four years, we engaged more than 70 expert authors, to document 45
years of livestock research at ILRI, resulting in a book, launched in 2021 (Figure 1). Nine of the 18
chapters document epidemiological research into animal disease, showing the importance of
epidemiology in livestock development.
Results: Key findings include:
• Research increased understanding of infection dynamics and generated methodologies and
approaches that have since been applied in every corner of the world.
• One Health approaches estimated the burden and risk factors for neglected as well as emerging
zoonoses, identified their drivers and developed strategies for reducing those risks.
• Field research on trypanosomiasis determined that rational use of curative and preventive
trypanocidal drugs is the most sustainable and scalable control method.
• Research on food safety elevated the importance of informal markets where most of the poor
buy and sell food, introduced risk assessment developing countries, conducted dozens of
disease burden studies and developed new approaches to managing food safety in informal
markets.
Conclusion: The book captures ILRI benefits to research, capacity development and end users. It
marshals substantial evidence to show that livestock epidemiological and economic research
improved food and nutrition security, prosperity, and natural resource management in lower-income
countries.