Ceva and ILRI sign MoU to establish Animal Health Innovation Hub for Africa
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Ceva Santé Animale (Ceva) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an Animal Health Innovation Hub for Africa at ILRI’s Nairobi campus. This strategic collaboration aims to enhance animal health and livestock productivity across the continent by fostering innovation, research, and capacity-building and demonstrates ILRI’s interest in working with the private sector.
Poor animal health in Africa has significant impact on livelihoods, food security and climate emissions. It is estimated that the continent loses USD 9 billion a year from poor animal health, equivalent to 6% of the total value of the livestock sector in Africa. Animal diseases cause substantial mortality and morbidity, leading to significant economic losses especially for pastoral and smallholder farmers and communities who rely on livestock for their livelihoods. Diseased animals are less productive, resulting in lower yields of meat, milk, and other livestock products which also leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions relative to the animal’s productivity.
The Innovation Hub will serve as a platform for pioneering advancements in animal health with a focus on:
- Development of vaccines for Africa: Supporting research and innovation to develop vaccines tailored to Africa’s livestock needs.
- Deployment of data monitoring systems and gathering of animal health data: Establishing comprehensive systems to track and analyze animal health trends across the region.
- Technical transfer within Africa: Facilitating knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen local expertise in animal health.
- Creation of real-time market research information: Enabling informed decision-making through up-to-date market insights and intelligence.
- Expansion of the animal health ecosystem: Attracting startups and animal health service companies to drive further innovation and investment in the sector.
The Hub will bring together scientists from the north to work with scientists from across Africa combining experience in the animal health industry with research expertise from ILRI.
Appolinaire Djikeng, director general of ILRI, highlighted the importance of the collaboration, stating: “This partnership with Ceva underscores our shared commitment to improving livestock health and productivity in Africa by bringing research solutions to the market. Leveraging ILRI’s research expertise and links to local level partners and Ceva’s global experience in animal health, we aim to create sustainable solutions that will benefit farmers and communities across the African continent.”
Marc Prikazsky, chairman and CEO of Ceva Santé Animale, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing: “Innovation is at the core of Ceva’s mission, and Africa represents a key priority for our efforts to improve animal health. Through this Innovation Hub, we will work closely with ILRI and other stakeholders to ensure that scientific advancements translate into real-world impact for African farmers.”
The establishment of the Innovation Hub is expected to foster a robust ecosystem of innovation, drawing in researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to collaboratively address the continent’s most pressing animal health challenges.
