The fight to contain and eradicate trypanosomiasis is getting complicated by climate change as the Tsetsefly moves to new habitats that were previously free from the vector.
According to an expert in charge of Technology, Innovations and Skills Development at the African Union-InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Dr. Mary Mbole-Kariuki, uncoordinated continental efforts are contributing to the slow pace in finding solutions.
She is calling for a coordinated approach and an African common position as the continent had to the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30), that will be held in Brazil. “Through AU-IBAR we have come up with a drive to put out an Africa common position, and we need to have a coordinated approach that will represent Africa’s collective interest, it will also speak for Africa as one voice,” she said in her presentation titled, “Africa Common Position for Sustainable and Resilient Livestock Food Systems” delivered at the 37th Conference of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISCTRC).
She called on the scientists and researchers to read and internalise the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2032 that provides for a continental framework for coordinated climate action and sustainable development.
The strategy’s overarching goal is to build climate-resilient communities and economies across the continent, with four key objectives: strengthening adaptive capacity, promoting low-emission development, enhancing resource and technology mobilization, and improving cooperation and ownership of climate strategies. The strategy identifies key priority areas for intervention, such as transforming food and energy systems, protecting ecosystems, and enhancing inclusive industrialization, to achieve Africa’s vision outlined in Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Agenda 2030.
“If you have observed, our science is remaining with us and it is not being adopted,” she said and added, “We need to push that agenda so that policy makers have access to our work to be able to come up with concrete policies.” Dr. Mbole further challenged fellow scientists to stop pushing one paper after the other and instead come out to engage policy planners.
“What is important for all of us is to promote Research, Technology and Innovation,” she said and further added, “I know most of you, your research is in your desks. Your computers.”
Dr. Mbole says, especially for livestock food systems, increase of vector populations, continued land degradations, continued losses of biodiversity, lack of access to climate finance and climate positive investments are some of the challenges impeding success in ensuring progress.
She notes that rising demand for food on account of rising population coupled by urban migration against limited natural resource base is leading to environmental degradation further contributing to a rise in re-emerging as well as endemic diseases, an issue she said is complicating matters as the globe moves to address Anti-Microbial resistance (AMR).
Dr. Mbole said that AU-IBAR is coming up with proposals for boosting nature positive livestock production systems “aimed at promoting sustainable low carbon, efficient and climate resilient livestock food systems through adoption and upscaling of climate smart, environmentally friendly and gender inclusive innovations and practises geared towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing biodiversity loss.
AU-IBAR is also looking into building resilient and inclusive African livestock centric communities leverages on strengthening community led initiatives on conserving and restoring biodiversity and ecosystem promoting grass root climate literacy and awareness, creating green agri-jobs renewable energy.
“For instance, pastoralists in Sudan say they can recognise an animal that is having trypanosomiasis through the odour they emit, I’m sure as scientists, you’ve not asked yourself, what is it that they pick? It must be something, some receptors or some substances, some active chemicals that are being picked by them that we do not know,” said Dr. Mbole and added, “Let’s get out there and ask ourselves these issues.”
She noted that enhancing co-ordinated and equitable climate governance will promote inclusion of livestock in national level governance and regulatory instruments and promote harmonized regional frameworks and protocols on climate mitigation and adaptation.
She appealed to researchers to carry out studies on livestock breeds with a view to having locally led solutions, “there are livestock breeds that are resistant to trypanosomiasis and which could also be better in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as they are perhaps efficient feed converters.”
Dr. Mbole urged scientists and researchers to be part of the push to have a data base on the African Union Digital One Health Platform that can be used by all researchers, “because data is key, the lack of data has continued to drive an uncoordinated effort on anything that we have to do.”
