PHOTOS: ZOETIS
HEAL ▶▶▶TH
Enhancing livelihoods and livestock production in Africa
Animal health company Zoetis celebrated the fifth anniversary of its ALPHA initiative at the end of June 2022. Glenn David, executive vice and group president, tells us more about the initiative’s goals and achievements in livestock farming thus far in Sub-Saharan Africa.
BY ZANA VAN DIJK, EDITOR DAIRY GLOBAL T
Glenn David, executive vice president and group president of Zoetis.
18 ▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 9, No. 3, 2022
he concepts of sustainability in livestock production and enhancement of farmer livelihoods are two are- as in farming that can be seen as synonymous with each other. When the African Livestock Health and
Productivity Advancement (ALPHA) initiative was launched in 2017, it set out to honour these aspects of livestock farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. What is the ALPHA initiative exactly? Co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the initiative concludes its five years of progress in which it has improved livestock health and productivity and farmer livelihoods in Sub-Sa- haran Africa. The initiative started its journey and was first
launched in Uganda and Nigeria, followed by Ethiopia in 2018 and Tanzania in 2019. David says, “It was originally ini- tiated as a three-year partnership and was then extended to four years when the geographic reach was also expanded to include Tanzania – and finally to five years.” Why was the initiative so important? Farming and animal agriculture are major forms of livelihood for people in this region. And as one of the most rapidly developing regions globally, Sub-Saharan Africa is also home to some of the largest livestock populations in the world – and the highest density of livestock keepers with the lowest productivity per animal. David adds that by improving access to critical veter- inary products and services and supporting infrastructure for quality animal healthcare, we can make a positive long-term impact. In addition, this support of the region is part of Zoe- tis’s aspirations to grow veterinary care in emerging markets under its Driven to Care long-term sustainability goals. Progress and achievements over the last few years span from better farming practices and access to medicines, to enhanc- ing veterinarian technical knowledge and farmer know-how – progress like this is crucial in terms of food security in the region. The last five years have been a true journey for those involved in livestock production and those who have been part of this initiative. Not only are farmers and veterinarians equipped with more knowledge and have the support of medicines and vaccines, the positive economic development is also of major significance. “Animal health is extremely important in contributing to sus- tainable development goals and economic opportunities in Africa. Access to medicines and technology will help farmers raise healthier animals and secure a more productive and sustainable food supply and income, which is critical to the economic development of the region and well-being of its people,” David adds.
Achievements in three major areas 1. Availability of veterinary medicine With 91 new veterinary products commercially available (in- cluding vaccines, parasitic treatments and medicines),
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