Marketing, processing, storage
Processing, storage
Research reports for "human health"
Processing, storage
Research reports for "human health"
- A new animal health and livestock training network for sub-Saharan Africa - 3
A new network of African universities is being developed to produce teaching materials for disseminating the results of DFID-funded research into animal health and livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to overcome the fact that the massive amount of DFID-funded research done to improve animal health and livestock keeping has had very little impact - mainly because new knowledge simply isn’t reaching the people who need it. The African Universities’ Veterinary E-Learning Consortium (AUVEC) therefore aims to provide bite-sized, easy-to-revise, distance-learning materials that animal health professionals can use to regularly update their knowledge and skills. This developing network consists of veterinary departments and veterinary bodies in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. (Ref: AHP12) - Beating brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis
To boost livestock production and improve people’s health, researchers in Tanzania have been working to increase people’s knowledge of brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis - diseases which cause long-term illness in people and production losses in livestock. In Tanzania both diseases are a growing problem, and lack of knowledge is the major barrier to efforts to stop their spread. This work has involved identifying the groups most likely to be affected by the diseases and developing better ways of showing them how contamination can be avoided - such as boiling milk, and taking extra care when handling raw milk and placentas. Work to educate health practitioners and vets has also given good results, because diseases like brucellosis are often misdiagnosed and mistreated. (Ref: AHP04) - Combating sleeping sickness in cattle and people
A safe, accurate and easy-to-use test is now available to screen for trypanosomes. Spread by tsetse fly, these tiny parasitic organisms cause serious diseases like nagana in cattle and sleeping sickness in people. Previously, screening to prevent the spread of these diseases was slow and inaccurate. Now, just one drop of blood is enough to provide the DNA needed for analysis, and this can easily be attached to a sample-collection card and posted to a laboratory for testing. The system could have a major impact on livestock and on poor producers’ health and livelihoods, and is already being used in parts of Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. But, because most people aren’t aware of its benefits, this ready-to-use technique urgently needs to be promoted. (Ref: AHP01) - Controlling the threat of rabies
In Tanzania, vaccinating domestic dogs has proved to be a very effective way of fighting rabies - because they are the major reservoir for the disease. In fact, in areas where trials have been run, they slashed both the number of cases of rabies in dogs and the number of dog bites by more than 90%. Currently rabies badly affects the poor in rural and semi-urban areas, causing illness, death and livestock losses. The poor, for example, can least afford treatment and so are most likely to develop the disease once they have been bitten. Children are also particularly vulnerable to rabies, and are most likely to die from the disease if they develop it. (Ref: AHP03) - Easy diagnosis of livestock diseases
New methods have been developed to check the health of animals in areas of sub-Saharan Africa where vets are in short supply. One is a cheap, reliable low-tech instrument which can be used to test whether or not livestock are anaemic. Known as a haemoglobinometer, this easy-to-carry device could make a real difference to smallholder farmers since the presence or absence of anaemia is a key indicator of animal health in the tropics. A decision-support tool has also been developed to complement the haemoglobinometer. The colour-banded card helps users to match symptoms to eight major diseases and guides them towards the most likely diagnosis. The decision tool is already being used in Uganda and Eastern Zambia. However, great scope exists to expand its use. (Ref: AHP07) - Waking up to better ways of tackling sleeping sickness - 1
New, cost-effective ways of controlling sleeping sickness in people and nagana in cattle are being applied in Uganda. These techniques involve treating infected cattle with drugs that kill blood-borne trypanosomes (which cause these diseases), and applying insecticides to the specific parts of the cattle that tsetse fly bite to feed (like the legs and belly). Conventional methods of tackling sleeping sickness concentrate on detecting and treating human cases and killing the tsetse flies that spread the disease. But, this doesn’t address the fact that cattle are the major reservoir of the disease. In fact, almost 50% of the cattle living in some areas carry the disease. The new methods that have been developed offer a way of combating the problem at source. (Ref: AHP02) - Waking up to better ways of tackling sleeping sickness - 2
New, cost-effective ways of controlling sleeping sickness in people and nagana in cattle are being applied in Uganda. These techniques involve treating infected cattle with drugs that kill blood-borne trypanosomes (which cause these diseases), and applying insecticides to the specific parts of the cattle that tsetse fly bite to feed (like the legs and belly). Conventional methods of tackling sleeping sickness concentrate on detecting and treating human cases and killing the tsetse flies that spread the disease. But, this doesn’t address the fact that cattle are the major reservoir of the disease. In fact, almost 50% of the cattle living in some areas carry the disease. The new methods that have been developed offer a way of combating the problem at source. (Ref: AHP10) - ‘Off-the-shelf’ biocontrol for weeds in India
Scientists in India now have the skills to screen and use biological controls for pests. The exotic noxious weed Parthenium not only causes severe crop losses but also affects people - causing contact dermatitis and allergies. Already used in many countries, biological controls for weeds are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Now, Indian scientists have successfully imported, screened and released a rust to control Parthenium. Proven in UK and Australia, this opens the door for other ‘off-the-shelf’ pest controls to be introduced. Biological controls could have a major impact on raising incomes of the poor, helping them to use less pesticide and boost crop yields. Interest in these biological control methods is now spreading throughout Asia. (Ref: CPP71) - A new animal health and livestock training network for sub-Saharan Africa - 2
A new network of African universities is being developed to produce teaching materials for disseminating the results of DFID-funded research into animal health and livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to overcome the fact that the massive amount of DFID-funded research done to improve animal health and livestock keeping has had very little impact - mainly because new knowledge simply isn’t reaching the people who need it. The African Universities’ Veterinary E-Learning Consortium (AUVEC) therefore aims to provide bite-sized, easy-to-revise, distance-learning materials that animal health professionals can use to regularly update their knowledge and skills. This developing network consists of veterinary departments and veterinary bodies in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. (Ref: AHP11) - New techniques help get rid of unwelcome guests
Rodents have a serious impact on people’s lives. They nest in the roof thatching of rural households, relying on food and human drinking water stored inside the home and causing serious losses to these stores. They also damage crops, personal possessions and buildings, and transmit dreaded diseases such as the bubonic plague. Ecologically based management techniques - including the use of kill traps and multi-capture live traps - have enabled rural communities in Mozambique to reduce rodent numbers significantly. Before the project, rodent pests and their damage went largely unchecked in the project villages. Poisons were not available and traps were usually self-made and unreliable. At least a dozen villages are now intensively trapping rodents and, although the scale of use remains limited, the techniques are spreading through word-of-mouth. (Ref: CPH15) - Pesticides that come naturally
Plants with pesticide properties are helping farmers to improve their earnings by reducing the impact of insect pests in storage. Previously, farmers were forced to minimise their losses by selling grain soon after harvest, when market prices are low. Natural pesticides are cheaper than commercial chemicals. They are also readily available, and safer and easier to use. Traditional methods of using these pesticide plants are, however, highly variable. Farmers need reliable information to support their decision making. Participatory trials in Ghana have yielded new knowledge that can revive and modernise farmer practice by optimising the use of botanical pesticides. With this knowledge, farmers can make informed decisions on application concentrations and methods, preparation of the botanicals and the duration of control. (Ref: CPH14) - Protecting consumer health in cities
New knowledge about the policy linkages between food safety, poverty and environmental pollution has had a major impact in guaranteeing consumer health India. A key factor in the formula for success was the creation of a food-safety forum involving representatives from government, the private sector, and non-government and community organizations. They worked together on policy advocacy and developed and tested food-safety strategies. Environmental pollution can lead to contamination of fresh produce, endangering the health and livelihoods of people living in and around cities. The valuable institutional lessons, policy perspectives and processes that emerged from the Indian experience can help to promote pro-poor food-safety policy in other countries and contexts. (Ref: CPH06) - Street food comes clean
Street vendors and consumers are benefiting from an innovative system for the systematic management and control of informal food vending. The system is designed to ensure food safety and quality through the involvement and participation of all key players. To make the approach practical and easy to implement, it was divided into a series of logical modules. Over 5000 vendors have also received training in improved food safety, hygiene and financial management. Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and India have systematically addressed specific issues affecting the informal sector. The new approaches have helped them to change the attitudes of food inspectors, from enforcement to providing sustainable support for vendor activities. The system is highly applicable to cities and towns across the globe. (Ref: CPH38) - Strengthening registration of biological controls in Africa
Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa have already used new guidelines to develop systems for registering biological controls for pests and diseases - bacteria, viruses, nematodes, fungi, predators and parasites. Although systems for registering chemical controls are often in place, few deal with biological controls. But for produce to meet heath and safety standards, biological controls must be registered. This is vital for horticulture exports from Africa and Asia, particularly those destined for developed countries. Both South Africa and Kenya now have laws - based on the guidelines - that allow biological control agents to be registered, sold and used. Many other countries, including Tanzania, Ghana and Benin, are also using the guidelines to draw up similar laws to help their booming exports of fresh produce. (Ref: CPP44) - Combating potato pests safely in Bolivia
Potato farmers in Bolivia, and their children, are learning about biological controls and integrated pest management. The potato is the staple food in Andean countries as well as the main cash crop. But pests and diseases cause huge losses each year. So, farmers use more and more pesticides, threatening human health and damaging the environment. Books for farmers, teachers and children introduce the ideas of integrated pest management. Children help in the potato fields, so raising their interest at an early age could pay off later. Farmers are also testing traps baited with natural extracts. These could help safely control the Andean potato weevil. Locally made traps intercept weevils heading for the potatoes. Other farm communities are keen to test the traps so demand could grow significantly. (Ref: CPP57)
