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Panorama Around the worldHow public–private partnerships can help to bring quality animal health products and extension services to sub-Saharan Africa

Around the world Posted on 2020-01-14 16:15:12

How public–private partnerships can help to bring quality animal health products and extension services to sub-Saharan Africa

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The views expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the author(s). The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by the OIE in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

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Some county governments in Kenya work closely with the grassroots network of a company called Sidai, which provides vaccination, disease investigation and clinical services to livestock keepers.
The arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya, where most of its livestock population (valued at USD 4.4 billion) are kept, are particularly poorly served by both suppliers and qualified professionals. Fewer than 5% of the livestock are vaccinated on a routine basis. The Kenyan Government lacks the resources to provide an effective service and is only able to respond to disease outbreaks as they arise.

Livestock keepers in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to the quality veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and knowledge they need to keep their livestock healthy and productive. Livestock products may be defectively manufactured, poorly stored or even counterfeit.

Some county governments in Kenya work closely with Sidai’s network, which provides vaccination, disease investigation and clinical services to livestock keepers

Sidai is a company in Kenya with a unique, professionally staffed distribution network that supplies quality-assured vaccines and pharmaceutical, clinical and diagnostic services to 300,000 livestock keepers. Sidai has over 100 veterinary staff, a network of 100 professionally run franchises and 1,500 retail shops, all of which ensure that farmers get the specialist knowledge they need to prevent disease and farm profitably.

By combining resources through a public–private partnership agreement, the government is able to focus its resources on controlling diseases that affect public health and transboundary diseases (Rift Valley fever, foot and mouth disease, peste des petits ruminants, etc.), leaving Sidai to provide routine vaccination against the major diseases that affect the livelihoods of livestock keepers (contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, lumpy skin disease, enterotoxaemia, etc.).

Sidai is able to bundle extension services into its product offering, ensuring pastoralists receive accurate information on animal health and production on a financially sustainable basis. It is hoped that this model of partnership can be extended throughout Kenya.

http://dx.doi.org/10.20506/bull.2019.3.3055

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