The Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) based at Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh is featured in a high-profile campaign highlighting research being carried out in the UK to make the world healthier and safer.

The ‘Decade of Health’ campaign, funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shares collaborative, pioneering research that benefits the health of people around the world. It showcases CTLGH’s work to improve the health, resilience and productivity of tropical livestock.

Pathway out of poverty

Livestock are a key resource in low- and middle-income countries, where millions of smallholder farmers rely on them for both nutrition and income. Improving production systems for tropical livestock can benefit the health and livelihoods of millions of people.

As part of the campaign, Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, Director of the Centre, is recognised as one of 10 people in the UK who are changing the face of health.

Professor Djikeng, a livestock genomics scientist, has spent more than 20 years leading global research and development programmes focusing on agricultural development and human health.

Professor Djikeng said:

“I am delighted that the Centre has received this recognition for its work in this high-profile campaign and am honoured to work with such dedicated researchers, partners and collaborators. This is a testament to our Centre’s unique positioning to link livestock development to human health – a link that has been neglected for far too long.

“Working together, we are committed to try to improve tropical livestock efficiency and resilience, in order to help feed a growing population and provide a pathway out of poverty for millions of rural families living in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.”

Global collaboration

Formed in 2014, the Centre is a strategic partnership of the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and has research nodes in Edinburgh, Nairobi and Addis Ababa.

It receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research council and Jersey Overseas Aid.

The six-week ‘Decade of Health’ campaign launched on 16 October and will run on TV, radio, print and across social media.

National campaign recognises Centre’s impact on health / One Health by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0