Author: team galvmed

How technology is transforming animal health

Posted on by team galvmed

According to FAO, livestock related food items account for about 30% of agriculture related GDP in Africa. This is with the exclusion of other contributions such as manure, draught power and transportation. When we consider that 75% of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) human population is involved either directly or indirectly in farming activities (FAO 2013;2014), it becomes apparent that livestock farming is an important aspect of human development in the region. Livestock diseases however pose a significant barrier to growth with losses thought to be much higher in SSA than the global average of 20% (AU-IBAR). It also limits access to foreign markets through the export of live animals and livestock products.

Pharmaceutical companies generally focus their resources in the developed markets where they derive most of their revenues. For instance, the US commands 43% of the market (ResearchAndMarkets.com). This has led to gaps on the availability of animal health products in SSA that meet farmer needs as well as supply challenges to last mile level. GALVmed aims to evidence that commercial benefit could be realised by operating in this space with the aim of attracting industry players. To this end, technology is emerging as a key enabler which could transform the animal health industry in Africa.

Technology can be used to build infrastructure and tools linking players in the industry. As an example, GALVmed has partnered with cloud-based, animal health product distribution company Cowtribe, to supply rural agrovet retail shops in Ghana which have historically been underserved, with quality animal health inputs competitively. A business to business (B2B) e-commerce platform called Zhulia is allowing agrovets to order animal health inputs with just a tap of a button. Through this platform, orders can be aggregated immediately leading to quantity related discounts translating to lower cost of goods. This also allows for developing of route plans for delivery of the ordered products as agrovets will be mapped in real time. Agrovets can now better manage their inventory, manage sales, enjoy competitive pricing and other related benefits as this has created an ecosystem of actors in the industry.

Data analytics can also unlock tremendous value for animal health industry players. A combination of online behaviour, media reports, GIS and internal data could be used to predict which products will be needed when, where and by who. It could also predict disease outbreaks which could be useful in informing proactive interventions. Signals from internet searches and media could also serve as early indicators of safety of certain products.

As digital health technologies continue to become an integral part of the solution, those working in the livestock sector need to adapt, as such technologies have the potential to greatly increase access, control quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of animal health inputs.

Written by Beatrice Ouma.

The changes we want for women small-scale producers

Posted on by team galvmed

The International Women’s Day is globally celebrated on March 8 and it is an important occasion to reflect on the challenges that women face every day around the world. This year’s #IWD theme was #ChooseToChallenge – for a challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change.

At GALVmed, we believe in women’s empowerment through initiatives that strengthen their capability to become active agents of livestock management and animal health. For women to be able to reach their full potential, there are still many things that need to change in the livestock and agriculture enterprise. We #ChooseToChallenge the animal health landscape to drive change towards a better future for women small-scale producers.

What would we like to see change in the animal health landscape for women small-scale producers?

Access to effective veterinary medicines and vaccines is the guarantee of better livelihoods for women in low-and-middle-income countries. Animal health tools, services, and awareness allow them to better take care of their animals, securing an income and reinforcing their role in their communities, all of which will ultimately lead to social and economic empowerment.

What would enhance women small-scale producers access to economic gains from livestock?

Read more about how livestock can help women break the cycle of poverty.

Change agents: The women making a difference in their livestock communities

Posted on by team galvmed

Livestock is an important entry point for promoting women’s empowerment.

In the rural areas of the state of Bihar, India groups of local women, known as Pashu Sakhis, are trained to provide basic animal health care to their communities. In 2019, GALVmed and its partners, Veterinary Social Business division of Hester Biosciences Limited, and Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotional Society (BRLPS) held a joint training program for the Pashu Sakhis on the importance of vaccination, deworming and basic goat husbandry practices. 

For Pashu Sakhis’ potential to be fully realised, access to veterinary services is crucial. GALVmed-Hester South Asia initiative aims to strengthen the distribution mechanisms which will increase the supply of quality veterinary medicines and vaccines so that women can continue to take better care of their livestock and improve the livelihoods of their families.

Empowering women through livestock

Posted on by team galvmed

When it comes to livestock, it has been documented that although women assume much of the responsibility for labour, they rarely derive economic and social gains from the livestock, especially from large animals such as cows, whose ownership is closely associated with men. But the narrative is slightly different for small animals such as goats, sheep, pigs and poultry. Women are more involved when it comes to decisions regarding the care of small stock. These animals give women access to family income (the sale of small ruminants can provide an emergency source of cash for medical treatment or school fees, while daily milk provides a regular flow of cash income often used to purchase food and household items).

In northern India, in the states of Utter Pradesh and Bihar, livestock such as goats provide a lifeline for many rural women.  Twenty-five-year-old Saraswati Devi from Chapati village in Kishanganj in Bihar uses income from livestock to take care of her five-member family’s needs. She recently sold off two goats to repair a leaking roof, replacing the grass thatch with cement roofing.  

“Livestock gives us an annual income of about forty thousand rupees (USD 550). This income helps me to manage my household better”, says Saraswati.  

Small animals like goats and chickens are often nicknamed “ATMs” because they are convenient sources of cash. “As long as I have some goats in the yard, I can turn them into money whenever needs arise”, adds Saraswati.

In the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, Shivkumari is also rearing goats, which are her family’s primary source of income. While Shivkumari’s husband engages in other agricultural activities, the responsibility of taking care of the goats falls squarely on her. She makes decisions such as when to vaccinate the animals. She knows her decisions directly impact the household.

“Should we lose any goat due to an illness, we lose a lot of income, about forty to fifty thousand rupees per year. This is money we use to educate our children and meet other family expenses. I therefore take very good care of our goats”, says Shivkumari.

Livestock is an important entry point for promoting women’s empowerment in rural areas to enable them to break out of the cycle of poverty. For this potential to be fully realised, access to veterinary services is crucial. GALVmed is working with Hester Biosciences to strengthen the distribution mechanisms which will increase the supply of quality veterinary medicines and vaccines so that women like Saraswati and Shivkumari can continue to take better care of their livestock and improve the livelihoods of their families.

This blog was written by Alternatives and  Beatrice Ouma.

How are we communicating with farmers in times of COVID-19?

Posted on by team galvmed

COVID-19 has disrupted the way we do business. With travel restrictions in place in many countries and the need to protect each other against the disease, extension services for small-scale producers (SSPs) have been curtailed. Physical farmer trainings and awareness activities have reduced significantly or in some instances been stopped entirely. The GALVmed-Hester South Asia Initiative has taken advantage of the high penetration of smartphones in rural India to keep in touch with SSPs through channels such as social media.

On the trail of PPR & SGP in India

Posted on by team galvmed

Small ruminants are constantly threatened by diseases such as PPR and Sheep & Goat Pox (SGP). The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), estimates that 80% of the world’s 2 billion small ruminant population in Africa, the Middle East and Asia are threatened by PPR, while Sheep & Goat Pox has a mortality rate of 50% and equally presents significant losses for any livestock keeper.

GALVmed is working with Hester Biosciences to improve vaccination and help raise awareness about the two diseases and the need for routine vaccination through the GALVmed-Hester South Asia initiative.

What livestock mean for small-scale producers

Posted on by team galvmed

Millions of people around the world rely on small-scale agriculture and livestock farming for their livelihoods. For these families, livestock are assets which translate into vital essentials such as food, housing, education, or health assistance. Within this reality, outbreaks of livestock diseases can be detrimental to the livelihoods of these producers.  

We travelled to Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India where GALVmed is implementing animal health projects with our partner Hester Biosciences, to meet some small-scale producers and find out more about them. Who are they? What do livestock mean for them and their families? And how do they use their livestock income?

Soni Pal is a 19 years old sheep farmer from Gosaura Khurd village. Livestock for Soni means better education. ‘’We can build a better future for ourselves from the income we get from rearing sheep,’’ says Soni.

Similarly, we meet Lal Chandra Pal who says his small sheep farming business has contributed to a better life and education for his children. Lal Chandra proudly shows off his flock of sheep while expressing the importance of these animals to him and his family. For Lal Chandra, the herd has to be well taken care of in order to continue securing income and to guarantee his family’s well-being.  

Lal Chandra Pal with his herd of sheep

In the same village, we also met with a buffalo owner, Krishna Devi, and Sohaga Devi, a goat farmer. Earnings from the animals not only help with their family’s education, but also help to meet their daily expenses, enabling them to improve their lives. “The additional income from goat farming helps us have a better quality of life. It is therefore important that we keep them in good health”, explains Sohana Devi.

Sohana Devi feeding her goats

“I hope to earn a good income from milk. The income will help us give the children better education.” – Krishna Devi

Livestock plays a very important economic and socio-cultural role in the rural villages of developing countries. Rearing of goats and sheep is a common practice in many states of India, and small ruminant diseases such as Sheep and Goat Pox (SGP) or Pest des Petites Ruminants (PPR) can be devastating.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that PPR virus can infect up to 90 percent of an animal herd, and the disease kills anywhere up to 70 percent of infected animals. On the other hand, SGP’s mortality rate is up to 50%, and it is estimated that the total yearly cost of the disease is USD 48 million. Both diseases present significant losses for small-scale producers and have a deep negative impact on the worldwide economy.

When it comes to animal health products, lack of sustainable distribution systems, accessibility gaps, and ineffective and costly medicines are some of the biggest constraints that small-scale livestock producers face in LMIC. Animal health and economics are closely linked, and we cannot understand one without the other. The socio-economic impact and burden of animal diseases not only affect people directly involved in the livestock business but echoes into the whole world. Therefore, it is an absolute priority to ensure that the small-scale producers in LMIC can access high-quality vaccines and medicines to prevent animal diseases and their consequences.

This blog was written by Patricia Valdeón Noya as part of the camping ”Who are our small-scale livestock producers?” aimed to recognise their importance and value

African Animal Trypanosomosis: Why We Need New Drugs

Posted on by team galvmed

African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a disease of vertebrate animals caused by a blood‑dwelling protozoan parasite which is spread by biting tsetse flies.

AAT is widely known in Africa as nagana and is a major constraint for livestock producers in sub-Saharan Africa.  Each year, AAT is estimated to kill 3 million cattle. The direct economic cost arising from mortality and morbidity caused by AAT is estimated to be USD650 million annually. However, by including wider social and economic effects, the overall cost could be as high as USD4.75 billion per annum. (Budd, 1999)

One of GALVmed’s partners, the University of Glasgow, has produced a short video addressing the challenges of AAT in Tanzania and explains why a more effective drug is needed.

The de-risking and ultimate development of a new drug and its commercialisation would translate to a better and effective control of AAT. This would benefit small-scale livestock producers’ interests and reduce the risk of African human trypanosomiasis in affected areas.

For more information about GALVmed’s African Animal Trypanosomosis programme, please visit our Product Development page.

The relevance of quality data for decision-making and planning in LMIC

Posted on by team galvmed

On the back of the One Health Congress which was held recently from October 30 to November 3 2020, Supporting Evidence-based Interventions (SEBI) hosted a One Health virtual chat to discuss the importance of data to drive decision-making and intervention planning, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMIC).

The One Health chat was hosted by Andy Peters (SEBI), and different experts from the field joined the conversation to provide their insights: Lois Muraguri (GALVmed), Sam Thevasagayam (BMGF), Mizeck Chagunda (University of Hohenheim), and Appolinaire Djikeng (CTLGH).

During the meeting, it was highlighted that data is a dynamic system that provides support and helps to respond in real-time to emerging problems, as we saw with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, where data is playing a decisive role in decision-making.

Data is a core anchor when it comes to deciding what to do and how to do it, however, the participants also addressed the need to generate and analyse quality information in a fit-for-purpose manner. In this regard, Lois Muraguri pointed out the need of working together to make sure that Policymakers are using the right information, and the appropriate interventions are designed.

Ghana rural agrovets go digital

Posted on by team galvmed

The use of technology has permeated into many professional facets including in the provision of services to rural communities in the developing world. Increasingly, as we become a culture that is connected to everyone and everything and ubiquitously online, every business is finding ways of connecting to their customers and small-scale livestock producers are no exception. A new mobile platform is set to revolutionise how veterinary medicines and vaccines are accessed and managed by agrovets in Ghana. Zhulia – which means tribe in the local dialect, was recently launched by Cowtribe, GALVmed’s partner in West Africa, as a business-to-business (B2B) platform that allows rural agrovets to source and order animal health products such as vaccines, medications, feed, and other supplies directly from distributors and manufacturers with just a tap of a button. The platform is loaded with features that rural retail agrovets need including inventory management and product catalogues and their prices. The agrovets can also view request for products from the fulfilment chain and ongoing sales coming in from the point of sales application.

Agrovets are key in the agriculture value chain because they not only enable farmers to access inputs, they also fill agro-extension gaps. In your typical rural agrovet store, one would find agricultural and veterinary products sourced from multiple distributors and manufacturers from different geographical regions. Many of them rely on paper-based inventory tracking methods resulting in inaccuracies, delays, and repeat stock-outs which ultimately stifle business growth for these small retailers. This is where Zhulia comes in, to provide a convenient platform that will enable agrovets to efficiently manage their retail services. Through the platform, they can access products from multiple suppliers and timely monitor their stock so as to avoid a gap in the supply chain. Zhulia can be accessed as a web application to manage the activities of an agrovet shop and as an offline mobile application that enables agrovets with no internet access to conduct their sales efficiently.

A number of agrovets across five regions in Ghana are already signed up to the platform and can now access products from five large scale distributors. The process of registering more agrovets, distributors and manufacturers is ongoing.

The team at Cowtribe have taken the laborious bookkeeping experiences off the hands of rural agrovets and provided much more that simply can’t be accomplished in a book – a gateway to suppliers of high-quality products. They have provided a native but innovative solution that will bring livestock products closer to small-scale livestock producers.

Written by Beatrice Ouma