
Discover the highlights from Prevent Event 2024, where experts shared innovative insights and solutions shaping the future of poultry health in Africa. Explore session summaries and key takeaways from this inspiring event!

Event Programme:
Interviews
Photo Gallery

Opening speeches

Dr. Pierre-Marie Borne from Ceva welcomed distinguished guests and partners to the PREVENT EVENT, focused on the sustainable development of the poultry industry in Africa. Drawing from his 30 years of experience, particularly in Africa, he highlighted the growth of the poultry sector and its role in meeting the rising demand for protein driven by Africa’s population growth and urbanization.
Dr. Borne emphasized the need for sustainable development in poultry production, despite challenges like access to quality inputs, biosecurity gaps, and disease control. He called for innovation and collaboration across sectors to address these challenges, encouraging active participation and networking during the event to foster new partnerships and solutions.
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Dr. Solange Uwituze, Deputy Director General of Animal Resources Development at Rwanda Agriculture Board, welcomed attendees to the PREVENT EVENT in Rwanda. She expressed Rwanda’s pride in partnering with Ceva and governments to revolutionize the poultry industry, which is a key focus for the country’s agricultural strategy. Given Rwanda’s limited land and the growing demand for animal protein, poultry is particularly interesting for sustainable growth. Dr. Solange outlined the government’s five-year strategy to boost poultry production by 76% by 2029 and emphasized the importance of partnerships in achieving this goal. She thanked all partners and highlighted the importance of initiatives like the PREVENT program in advancing poultry sector transformation.
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Hon. Alexander Pastori Amnieti, Deputy Minister for Livestock and Fisheries of the United Republic of Tanzania, represented his government at the PREVENT EVENT, which aims to promote and enable poultry vaccination efficiently in Africa. He highlighted the significance of poultry farming in Tanzania, where chickens contribute to 53% of household income from livestock and 80% of meat production.
With a growing poultry population, the government is promoting increased production to meet domestic demand and export surplus, improve food security, and boost economic developement, particularly through employment and especially for women. Hon. Amnieti emphasized the need for investment in parent stock farms, hatcheries, poultry processing, and distribution systems to support the industry’s growth and address production capacity gaps. He called for greater investment in modernizing poultry infrastructure, including hatcheries, slaughterhouses, and cold chain systems, to meet both domestic and export needs.
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Dr. Enrique Pando, representing GALVmed, welcomed attendees and expressed gratitude to Rwanda for hosting the PREVENT EVENT. He introduced GALVmed as an international development organization based in the UK, with regional offices in Nairobi and Delhi.
GALVmed’s mission is to support farmers, particularly small-scale ones, through partnerships with companies like Ceva. He expressed excitement about contributing to the project and hoped the session would be valuable for everyone attending.

Session 1 – In the African poultry production Success Stories

What has worked well for small-scale farmers in Senegal – Mr. Gora Faye (IPAS – Sénégal)
Summary
Mr. Gora Faye discussed the success of small-scale poultry farming in Senegal, focusing on both modern smallholder poultry and traditional poultry farming. The Senegalese poultry value chain involves producers, marketers, distributors, and consumers, with actors including farmers, processors, distributors, veterinarians, and support organizations. Since 2005, poultry farming has flourished, especially after the government suspended avian products and equipment imports to protect the sector from avian flu, leading to a significant increase in poultry production.
Despite this growth, small-scale poultry farming faces challenges, including stagnating or declining flocks. Small-scale poultry farming plays a crucial socio-economic role, reducing unemployment, poverty, and malnutrition, especially for youth and women in rural areas. However, industrial poultry farming is gaining ground, increasing competition for small-scale poultry operations. Mr. Faye emphasized the need for a balanced development strategy that supports both industrial and small-scale poultry farming to ensure sustainability and preserve jobs and socio-economic benefits for more vulnerable populations.
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How public actions may benefit the Private sector – Dr. Solange Uwitze (RAB – Rwanda)
Summary
The presentation highlighted the significant role of public actions in shaping Rwanda’s private sector, particularly in agriculture. With a population of 13.2 million and 1.4 million hectares of agricultural land, Rwanda has achieved high food security, with 80% of households food secure. The government has been instrumental in creating a conducive environment for agriculture, providing critical support at the input and market access levels, and fostering public-private partnerships. Key public actions include regulatory support, infrastructure development, and workforce development, all aligned with Rwanda’s strategic national plans and Vision 2050 and the Sustainable Development Goals they have subscribed to.
Government investments in infrastructure, such as road networks and post-harvest facilities, have been complemented by private sector management. Some digital innovations have streamlined agricultural supply chains, improved access to inputs and financial services while other ones helped to manage livestock movements or improve disease control. Additionally, Rwanda has embraced technologies like drones for logistics, to ensure efficient service delivery in rural areas .
The government also supports financial inclusion through subsidized loans and insurance schemes for farmers, while workforce development programs address skill gaps. These public actions have led to growth in agriculture, enhanced food security, and economic development. The partnership between the public and private sectors remains essential for sustaining progress and achieving Rwanda’s long-term goals of food security, poverty reduction, and economic competitiveness.
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Sustainability of Poulet du Faso (Burkina Faso) – Mr. Yaya BA (Anipole Faso – Burkina Faso)
Summary
Mr. Yaya Ba’s success story takes place in Burkina Faso, a West African country with a population that has grown from 7 million in 1980 to nearly 23 million today, increasing demand for animal protein. And what Burkinabe people like, especially in rural areas, is their local chickens called “poulet bicyclette.” However, farmers face challenges like a lack of day-old-chicks, disease outbreaks (e.g., Newcastle, Gumboro), and low productivity, which limits the viability of poultry farming as a steady income source.
In 2015, the “Poulet du Faso” initiative was introduced to address these issues. This new approach involved reversing the traditional breeding method by crossing a local rooster with an exotic hen, resulting in a more productive chicken that still retains the preferred characteristics of the local breed. To combat disease risks, vaccination was introduced at the hatchery, ensuring chicks arrived healthy at farmers level. A distribution network, Anipole Faso, was set up to supply chicks, feed, and vaccines, along with technical support for rural farmers.
The project has been successful, increasing production from 600,000 chicks in 2018 to 3 million in 2023. It has empowered rural farmers to adopt poultry entrepreneurship, improving their infrastructure and production practices. Despite challenges like climate change, whose impacts on productivity will probably deepen in the coming years if no adapted measures are adopted, the “Poulet du Faso” project has had a significant positive impact and promises a bright future for poultry farming in Burkina Faso.

Session 2 – What makes for an effective Value Chain

Ivory Coast poultry industry – Mr. Sylvain Gotta (SIPRA/IPRAVI – Ivory Coast)
Summary
The poultry sector in Africa, exemplified by Ivory Coast, is a vital industry that requires a coordinated effort across multiple interconnected activities to ensure resilience and growth. These activities include breeding, chick production, feed manufacturing, egg production, poultry meat production, slaughtering, and distribution. Effective management of these processes within a unified framework, often overseen by an interprofessional organization, is crucial for optimizing the sector’s performance. For Ivory Coast, the interprofessional organization IPRAVI, established in 1995, unites all seven key activities needed for a modern poultry industry.
The main objectives of such a structured poultry sector include defending members’ interests, fostering the creation and strengthening of key activities, forming partnerships with other sectors, and creating strategic development plans. In Ivory Coast, IPRAVI has played a crucial role in the sector’s growth, such as initiating the country’s first strategic poultry development plan (PSRA I, 2010-2020) and continuing with the PSRA II (2020-2030), focusing on improving productivity and addressing health crises.
However, challenges exist both internally, such as maintaining cohesion among actors and securing financing, and externally, including political and financial support. Despite these hurdles, IPRAVI has successfully advocated for governmental support, such as subsidies during the COVID-19 crisis, ensuring the sustainability of the poultry sector in Ivory Coast.
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How has the French poultry value chain dealt with the H5 issue? – Dr. Maxime QUENTIN (ITAVI – France)
Summary
Since 2016, many outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have emerged all over the world, leading to a major crisis. In France for instance, more than 2,000 farms were impacted and 20 million birds were culled between 2021 and 2023 causing a loss of approximatively 1.3 billion euros. This crisis revealed a lack of coordination, initially causing delays in decision-making, because of the many stakeholders involved and their different priorities in dealing with the causes and consequences of the disease.
However, a shift towards a more pragmatic approach, including the implementation of vaccination against HPAI, marked significant progress. In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, professionals from the field united to propose a vaccination strategy: the “DIVA” strategy (enabling to differentiate vaccinated from infected animals) was adopted for duck flocks, alongside rigorous traceability and monitoring. France was the first country to both vaccinate and export which also involved good communication to reassure authorities, farmers and citizens.
After a year, 46 million ducks have been vaccinated and huge volumes of tests have been conducted to monitor the vaccination and detect the wild virus. All PCR tests (more than 650,000) came up negative to HPAI. This vaccination campaign has been a success, especially considering that no cases of HPAI have been detected this year. Nonetheless, stakeholders should remain vigilant. Efforts should intensify on biosecurity, which is the first barrier to prevent a new crisis, and on vaccination which is now a key tool to help control the disease. HPAI was a great threat for French production but also provided an opportunity for improved communication and collaboration between professionals and government authorities.
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The role of woman in the poultry Industry – Dr. Juliana KANTENGWA (Wood Valley Organics Ltd. – Rwanda)
Summary
Dr. Juliana Kantengwa, a vet and private farmer, shared her insights on women’s roles in African poultry farming. She highlighted the diversity of African societies and cultures, explaining that there is no “typical African woman” and that she would focus on the situation in Rwanda to avoid making generalizations.
According to Dr. Kantengwa, women in Rwanda are deeply involved in small and medium-sized poultry farming, often excelling when supported by targeted projects. Backyard farming is also predominantly managed by women, with their two main motivations being supporting their families financially and providing products such as eggs and chicken to help fight malnutrition and stunting. Women are not only involved in the field as producers, but have become active in marketing and management. For example, in the Rwanda Poultry Industry Association, women make up the majority of the members.
Dr. Kantengwa explains women’s strength in farming, by maternal instincts: “women go from managing the home to managing a farm, they already know how it works”.
She praised the government’s commitment to empowering women in agriculture and ensuring gender budgets.
She concluded by affirming the potential role of women to address challenges like malnutrition and sustainability.
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African Poultry market overview. Major trends and limitations – Mr. Nan-Dirk Mulder (Rabobank – Holland)
Summary
Mr. Nan-Dirck Mulder from Rabobank presented the growth and future of Africa’s poultry industry. Unlike Europe and Asia, where populations are expected to decline by 2050, Africa’s population will continue to grow, driving increased demand for protein, particularly poultry.
Despite challenges faced in the past 5 years, like high feed prices, economic struggles with COVID, and avian flu, the industry is recovering and showing resilience. Poultry is now Africa’s main source of animal protein because it is affordable, quick to produce, and religiously accepted. Rabobank, with over 20 years of investment in Africa, has focused on studying the poultry market and will soon publish its third African poultry report. Building strong networks, improving collaboration between governments and industries, and collecting better data were highlighted as key to improving food security and efficiency.
According to Mr. Mulder, lowering feed costs, which make up most of the production expenses, and increasing local soybean production are top priorities. Investing in hatcheries and dual-purpose chickens was also mentioned as a way to support small farmers. The growing middle class and development of restaurant chains are creating new opportunities for poultry production.
As a conclusion, Mr. Mulder explained that planning for the long term, better education/training, and easier access to financing are essential to fully develop Africa’s poultry industry.

Session 3 – Supporting the poultry sector’s development

Contract farmers -optimization of the production model – Mr. Julian Davidson (Kenchick Kenya)
Summary
Mr. Julian Davidson from Kenchick spoke about the importance of contract farming in poultry. Contract farming involves agreements between producers and buyers, with various levels of support. Kenchick, for instance, provides inputs like chicks, vaccines, and feed on credit and buys back the output, ensuring a guaranteed market for farmers.
Mr. Davidson shared data showing how Kenchick’s contract farming has evolved, with significant growth in farm size and bird numbers over the years. He emphasized how this system helps formalize informal sectors in developing countries, creating jobs, improving food traceability, and enhancing flock health through better genetics, vaccination, and technical support. For example, the introduction of Transmune in the vaccination program about ten years ago involved a significant drop in the incidence of the Gumboro disease.
According to Mr. Davidson, efforts should still be made on improving biosecurity, and farmers are really eager to work on it. However, they do not know how to do, and this is where integration comes in as a solution, to provide consistent training and technical support to farmers so they can improve their performances.
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H9 management in broiler production in Senegal – Mr. Serigne Amar (Amar – Senegal)
Summary
Mr. Serigne Amar discussed the management of the H9 virus in Senegal, exposing its significant impact on poultry health, productivity, and on the economic stability of the sector. Senegal has seen rapid growth in broiler production but the emergence of the H9 virus in 2018 caused serious challenges, including high flock mortality and economic losses. Managing this virus was critical to ensure food security, especially with Africa’s population rapidly increasing.
Key strategies to fight the virus included implementing biosecurity measures, such as disinfecting equipment, isolating contaminated zones, and limiting farm access.
One game changer was also the introduction of Ceva’s H9 vaccines, as was the implementation of this vaccination directly at the hatchery level, so chicks are already protected when they arrive in farms, where they are exposed to various viral and bacterial challenges.
Training farmers on biosecurity protocols and new technologies is also key, as well as collecting data in farms to compile them and see what does or does not work and improve performances.
Mr. Amar concluded by saying that safeguarding poultry operation is critical to meet tomorrow’s needs in getting affordable and accessible meat for a growing population.
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Providing services to small-scale farmers – Mrs. Elizabeth Hijnekamp and Mr. Hezron Opiyo (KPF – Kenya)
Summary
Kenya Poultry Farmers (KPF), led by Mrs. Elisabeth Hijnekamp and Mr. Hezron Opiyo, operates with the mission of “changing lives with poultry.” The two directors presented their company. Starting from a small backyard farm, KPF has grown to become western Kenya’s leading poultry company, focusing on empowering smallholder farmers and boosting the local poultry sector.
KPF provides farmers with essential inputs like chicks, feed, and equipment, along with technical training in farm management, business literacy, and growth mindset. Through an inclusive contract, farmers participate in the value chain by purchasing inputs and selling back their broilers and eggs.
This approach ensures sustainable income and supports the largely female workforce in the poultry industry as most small farmers are women.
The company has recently launched Dala Feed, a locally produced feed developed in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This project not only reduces production costs for farmers but also supports local maize and soybean farmers through raw material sourcing contracts.
Additionally, KPF focuses on giving farmers access to new technologies, such as nipple drinking systems, and plans to digitalize the value chain to improve record-keeping and profitability.
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Pragmatic customer approach towards health services – Mr. Stewart Bradnick (Silverlands – Tanzania)
Summary
The poultry industry faces similar challenges as other animal industries, such as evolving customer expectations, stricter standards, and the growing need for transparency and sustainability. In Tanzania, antibiotic abuse is a significant problem, worsened by limited opportunities for veterinarians. To address this, Silverlands implemented a customer-first approach, involving close engagement with poultry producers, custom health management plans, and continuous support.
They offer three poultry breeds (Bovan, Ross, and Sasso) adapted to farmers’ diverse needs and feed meeting nutritional requirements. They implement hatchery vaccination since they started in 2013 to ensure chick quality and the C.H.I.C.K. program allow them to be confident that the chicks they provide to farmers are well vaccinated. They developed a laboratory in 2018 to enhance health tracking, disease mapping and conduct antibiotic sensitivity tests, thereby fighting against farmers’ overreliance on antibiotics and the development of resistance. They also have a technical team continuously visiting farms to bring technical support and take samples when needed. They organize seminars on farm management and have a poultry training center proposing a 30% theory and 70% practical training program on topics such as biosecurity, brooding and vaccination, which have so far benefitted more than 4,000 rural farmers.
According to Mr. Bradnick, partnership is key to meet the future challenges of the poultry sector which involve 1) reducing antibiotic use while maintaining health and 2) ensuring it sustainability through regenerative farming. Solutions involve improved diagnostics, implementation of adapted vaccination programs, education and training and adoption of innovative practices. There is an opportunity to expand services and integrate more advanced technologies and genetics.
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The missing piece: egg production –
Mr. Bruce Doomeyna (IEF – USA)
Summary
Mr. Bruce Dooyema from the International Egg Foundation (IEF) presented their work in promoting bigger consumption of eggs in Africa by supporting small scale farmers. Based in the UK, the foundation provides knowledge, expertise, and training to help farmers improve production and, eventually, transition into commercial producers.
The IEF sees significant potential for growth in egg consumption in sub-Saharan Africa, where many countries consume fewer than 50 eggs per person annually, compared to 300–400 eggs in developed areas. Eggs are a highly nutritious and affordable food, rich in essential nutrients and vitamins, making them an ideal solution to combat hunger and malnutrition. However, as Mr. Dooyema mentioned, there is a need for better promotion of eggs in these regions to change perceptions and encourage higher consumption.
Beyond this issue, the poultry sector faces additional challenges, including a lack of hatcheries (and vaccinated DoC), feed supply issues, and long pullet rearing periods.
The IEF tackles these problems indirectly by supporting training centers in countries like Mozambique and partners with initiatives across Africa, including the KPI project in Kenya. These programs focus on teaching small-scale farmers better egg production practices, building poultry houses, and using educational videos to empower local farmers.
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Session 4 – How to meet needs and minimize risks?

Developing a chain of competencies, example from Ethiopia –
Pr. Hika Waktole (CVMA – Ethiopie)
Summary
Pr. Hika Waktole from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture (CVMA) in Ethiopia, the first and oldest veterinary institution in Africa, discussed Ethiopia’s efforts to transform its poultry sector. Ethiopia has the continent’s largest livestock population, mostly cattle. As part of a broader government initiative to prioritize livestock transformation, poultry is the priority of Ethiopia’s agricultural policy for the next five years.
However, the poultry sector faces numerous challenges, including disease outbreaks, feed shortages, limited veterinary services, and poor biosecurity. One gap identified is the lack of competencies in poultry health in curricula for veterinary and animal production students, which has left graduates underprepared for the growing poultry industry. Focus was mostly on cattle with very little emphasis on poultry.
To fill this gap in the curriculum, public and private partners collaborated to design the Poultry Medicine Training Postgraduate Program, which started in 2018. It consisted in a one-month training dedicated to poultry management and poultry health. Training included professionals from all sectors, both public and private, some of them now being trainers for the future generation. As a result, a Master Program of Poultry Health and Medicine was launched in CVMA in 2022 because of the rising interest in poultry farming, and is extending to other colleges from various regions in Ethiopia. This program has most probably contributed to Ethiopia’s poultry population having doubled from 50 million to 100 million in the past few years.
Education, Research & Development in poultry science are critical to support the fast-growing poultry industry and competences should go through the whole value chain.
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Controlling health risks: awareness-raising and vaccination (flu…) – Dr. Mustafa-Seckin Sandikli (Ceva)
Summary
Dr. Mustafa-Seçkin Sandikli, Global Marketing Leader of Ceva, presented the company’s mission to drive innovative health solutions for animals worldwide. As the world’s leading hatchery vaccine producer, Ceva focuses on providing expertise and advancing the poultry sector through collaboration, technology, and tailored solutions.
Indeed for poultry, Ceva’s strategy is focused on hatchery vaccination, offering an innovative range of vaccines to protect against key diseases circulating in the field, along with dedicated services, equipment, and veterinary support. Ceva adopts a specific “less is more” approach for layers and breeders, consisting in reducing the number of vaccines required while ensuring effective disease control.
Newcastle disease, still prevalent after 100 years, exemplifies the lack of control on biosecurity, vaccine & vaccination and immunization, involving interferences with maternal antibodies, problems with quality of administration and sometimes post-vaccination reactions. This led to the development of a new technology: vector vaccines, such as Vectormune ND, which are administered at the hatchery and help take control of transmission. Solutions at the hatchery also exist to protect flocks against the Gumboro disease.
Dr. Sandikli finally highlighted the global threat of avian influenza (AI), especially after recent outbreaks in Europe for instance, which underscore the fragility of animal health systems. It emphasized the importance of biosecurity and the need for a tailor made vaccine to better control the disease. Ceva developed Vectomune AI for chickens and turkeys, and Respons AI H5, the first mRNA vaccine in the world, more specifically for ducks. These opened new perspectives in the fight against H5.
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PREVENT initiative presentation – Dr. Tom Osebe (GALVmed), Mr. Attie Venter (Ceva)
Summary
The Prevent project is dedicated to improving vaccination practices in African hatcheries, with the goal of preventing the spread of the main circulating poultry diseases. Through this initiative, over 130 million chicks have been vaccinated. Field technicians, from partner hatcheries, play a crucial role in educating farmers on proper vaccination techniques, flock management and biosecurity measures, ensuring that these practices are widely adopted.
The project focuses on making the last innovations in terms of vaccination accessible to small-scale farmers by partnering with mid-sized hatcheries. It also uses digital platforms to gather real-time data on farmers practices and disease outbreaks.
Collaboration with universities and public laboratories further strengthens disease surveillance. Looking ahead, the project plans to expand by training more technicians, thereby reaching additional farmers.
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SAFER field monitoring: how does it work? – Dr. Steve Wilson (GALVmed)
Summary
The Safer Project focuses on disease surveillance across seven African countries, to monitor health challenges affecting small and medium poultry farms. The project trains animal health professionals to monitor outbreaks and collect samples in flocks presenting signs of respiratory diseases. Health professionals gather critical information on each disease outbreak. Real-time data collection is facilitated through a digital platform.
Collaboration with local and international labs allows to carry out molecular characterization of circulating viral diseases such as the Newcastle disease, Infectious Bronchitis, Avian Influenza and the Gumboro disease. They also monitor antimicrobial resistance to help address the rising challenge of antibiotic misuse in poultry farming. Surveillance efforts help guide vaccination strategies and ensure vaccines used are still adapted to the new strains that may be circulating in the field. Through health professionals’ direct technical support during their farm visits, Safer Project plays an important role in bringing pragmatic solutions to farmers’ issues and improving their biosecurity and management practices.

Closing speeches

Quentin Dussart, representing the French Embassy, expressed gratitude to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Ceva for their invitation and contributions. He emphasized the French Embassy’s alignment with the initiatives discussed, particularly highlighting two key concepts: value chain development and prevention. He admitted that the French Embassy is not doing enough at the moment but expressed their intention to continue to invest more in these two topics.
For the moment, the embassy is already supporting various agricultural and livestock value chains in Rwanda, working from upstream to downstream. Their initiatives include collaborations with the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) to enhance veterinary practices, train breeders, and improve cattle management through vaccination, feeding, and medical treatments. Additionally, they support soybean production and its integration into animal feed value chains, as well as funding local companies to industrialize food production.
He underlined the importance of prevention in stopping the spread of diseases, referencing recent global challenges. To conclude, Quentin Dussart called for stronger collaboration between the private sector, NGOs, and development partners, emphasizing the shared responsibility to improve livelihoods and create jobs.
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Enrique Pando, representing Galvmed, thanked the audience for their attention, questions, and engagement. He highlighted Galvmed’s belief, shared with Ceva and the Gates Foundation, that protecting livestock, poultry, and animals directly improves human lives. He was encouraged by this shared perspective among all participants.
He also discussed the different opportunities and challenges presented by Africa’s growing population and increasing demand for protein. He expressed the importance of partnerships in addressing these complexities, stating that collaboration among farmers, organizations, and other stakeholders is key to success.
Mr Pando referenced “Prevent” as an excellent example of effective collaboration that benefits all partners, including small-scale farmers.
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Dr. Nick Juleff, representing BMGF, thanked everyone and in particular Ceva for the long-standing commitment to poultry production in Africa.
He talked about the progress and challenges in poultry production in the intertropical region and praised the entrepreneurs whose dedication has driven significant success, calling it a “remarkable journey”.
Dr Juleff also expressed the importance of building robust networks called “filières” in French, by promoting collaboration among experts in genetics, nutrition, animal health, and government stakeholders. According to him, success requires measurable indicators to manage risks, especially in tackling diseases like avian flu. Effective vaccination is the solution, particularly in hatcheries, as demonstrated by the PREVENT project.
PREVENT, supported by Galvmed and funded by the Gates Foundation, vaccinated over 100 million chickens across 11 countries and 33 hatcheries. This success was made possible through training, equipment deployment, and collaboration. Dr. Juleff expressed pride in these achievements and reaffirmed his support for continuing to expand poultry production as a vital solution to feeding populations in southern regions. He concluded with encouragement for ongoing efforts.