Abdallah Twahir
African Green Revolution Forum Working Session on Transforming Dairy
Value Chains in Africa: Pathways to Prosperity, Nairobi, 8 September 2016
Delivering animal disease prevention services
in value chains

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Pathways to Prosperity – animal health
• 300 million people in Africa depend on livestock for their
livelihoods
• Average losses due to animal diseases are more than 20%
worldwide
• 70% of people living on an income of less than a $1 a day are
dependent upon livestock for their income and food security
• The rural poor constitute 66% of the population (504m) of the
poorest 38 countries in Africa
• 25% of their livestock die yearly because of preventable animal
diseases.
Slide 2

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Impact of disease
Brucellosis
• In Argentina the prevalence of brucellosis in cattle was 10%
in 2002
• 20k new cases of brucellosis in humans every year
• Annual losses from the disease cost around $60m
• Argentina had a dairy herd of 3.6 million in 2007
• Kenya had a dairy population of 3.5 million
Slide 3

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Impact of disease
ECF
• Disease occurs in 11 countries in East, Central and
Southern Africa
• 50m cattle at risk
• Morbidity and case fatality rates of 90 – 100% of newly
introduced Bos taurus cattle
• Annual cost of the disease is estimated to be $596m
Slide 4

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Impact of disease
RVF
• Reported in many countries in Africa, including Egypt and
Madagascar
• Substantial socio-economic and public health impacts
o massive outbreaks in Egypt caused over 20,000 cases and 600
deaths in 1977
o disease reported in November 2006 in Kenya and by the end of
January 2007, 148 people had died
• Annual cost of the disease is estimated to be $427m
Slide 5

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Impact of disease
CBPP
• Morbidity can approach 90% and case fatality rates may be
as high as 50%
• 25% of infected cattle remain carriers without showing
clinical signs
• Annual cost of the disease is estimated to be $634m
Slide 6

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Impact of disease
• Reduction in productivity – affects reproduction, milk production
and growth rates
• Threat to livelihoods – and by extension the economy of the country
• Threat to human wellbeing and life – diseases transmissible
between animals and humans
Slide 7

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Constraints
• Limited availability of vaccines
o Inappropriate pack sizes
o Counterfeit products
• Poor vaccine distribution systems
• Inadequate infrastructure
o Cold chain requirements
o Distributors and retailers
• Lack of knowledge – livestock keeper level
Slide 8

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Pathways to Prosperity
• Sensitization and awareness work
o Knowledge empowers the livestock keeper
o Creates demand for animal health solution (pull mechanism)
• Manufacturers – encouraged to change focus:
o Suitable pack sizes for village settings
o Use of appropriate technology: e.g. thermo-tolerance
• Private sector based service delivery
o Focus on rural settings
o Train vaccinators
• Governments and regulatory authorities
o Enabling policy framework
o Suitable regulatory framework
Slide 9

Transforming Dairy Value Chains in Africa
Pathways to Prosperity – possible solutions
• Sensitization and awareness work:
o Too generic – Governments take ownership
o Licensed vaccinators – policing
o Counterfeit products – policing & prosecution
• Manufacturers:
o Market understanding and knowledge
o Investments in the cold chain – Coca Cola or even beer!
o Suitable pricing structure – go for volumes rather than margins
Slide 10