The initiative aims to promote sustainable development and governance in Africa's fisheries and aquaculture sector. (Image source: AU-IBAR)

AU-IBAR is hosting a National Stakeholders Consultative and Validation Workshop from 20-24 August in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

The workshop aims to align Burkina Faso’s agricultural investment plans and fisheries and aquaculture strategies with the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS). Additionally, it seeks to address climate change adaptation and formulate recommendations for the domestication of relevant global instruments.

The workshop agenda includes a series of sessions focused on climate change adaptation and aligning national fisheries and aquaculture strategies with the PFRS. The first day features opening remarks from key dignitaries, followed by presentations on the PFRS and discussions on the alignment of national policies. The subsequent days involve breakout sessions for group work on integrating national agricultural investment plans with climate change strategies, domestication of global instruments, and policy alignment. The workshop concludes with plenary sessions to adopt consultancy reports, wrap up discussions, and develop actionable recommendations.

Participants from various sectors, including NGOs, private sector stakeholders, and representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, are collaborating to ensure the successful alignment of national strategies with continental and global frameworks. 

Speaking on behalf of Dr Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, Rafik Nouaili highlighted the pivotal role of the PFRS and the EU-funded FishGov2 initiative in supporting AU member states in the pursuit of Agenda 2063. 

UKRI aims to build knowledge and capability to better detect and disrupt the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, accelerating the development of new vaccines and therapeutics. (Image source: UKRI-Getty Images)

Over the years, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has proceeded to become one of humanity's biggest threats, urging farming researchers to join the global fight against this creeping pandemic

Eight new networks comprising a combination of different research specialisms will support diverse teams of AMR researchers to develop approaches aimed at tackling AMR across various sectors and disciplines. Approximately US6.3mn will be shared from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), awarded as part of its tackling infections strategic theme. Drawing on a dedicated budget of around US$9.2mn, the programme will continue next year with a new opportunity for ambitious new transdisciplinary research programmes.

The networks include:

- The AMAST (AMR in Agrifood Systems Transdisciplinary) Network: Led by Matthew Gilmour of the Quadram Institute, this network will coordinate the agri-food trans-disciplinary community engaged in AMR activities covering crop, livestock and aquaculture sectors, while also interactions with industry, trade associations, policy makers, and academia involved in food production.

- The Climate Change Impacts on AMR Using a Planetary Health Framework (CLIMAR) Network: Led by William Gaze from the University of Exeter, this network aims to find transdisciplinary solutions to reduce AMR infections while promoting innovations for alternative treatments.

- The ARREST-AMR (Accurate, Rapid, Robust and Economical One Health DiagnoSTics for antimicrobial resistance) Network: Led by Mark Bradley from the Queen Mary University of London, this network will focus on diagnostic tools in a One Health context. 

- The Fungal One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance Network: Led by Darius Armstrong-James from Imperial College London, this network will cover healthcare, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries as well as key government departments and end users in these settings.

- The Futures AMR Network (FAN): Led by Linda Oyama from the Queen's University Belfast, FAN will support early career researchers across a range of disciplines to become future leaders in AMR and tackle it in agri-food health, environment and medicine using approaches in the arts and artificial intelligence, behavioral economics, clinical engineering and discovery.

- IMPACT AMR: a Transdisciplinary Network: Led by Clare Chandler from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, this network will address key policy questions around AMR mitigation strategies, by working with policymakers and stakeholders to prioritise effective interventions that reduce the AMR burden in a feasible, socially acceptable, and economically beneficial manner.

- The People AMR Network: Led by Sarah Tonkin-Crine from the University of Oxford, this network will explore ways to help people make decisions about antibiotic use, develop new strategies and tools, and to study these to ensure they target the right people, the right behaviours, and the right settings to have maximum and timely impact at the lowest possible cost.

- The Transdisciplinary Antimicrobial Resistance Genomics (TARGet) Network: Led by Willem van Schaik from the University of Birmingham, this network will utilise recent genomic advances to better understand AMR, thereby covering the needs of academia, business, NHS, social care settings and veterinary medicine.

According to head of strategy, Advanced Manufacturing and Clean Growth at UKRI, Dr. Colin Miles, AMR is a large, complex problem with 10 million people expected to lose their lives to it each year by 2050. 

“Rather than taking single-discipline approaches, we need researchers from across disciplines to come together and look at all aspects of the problem – from human behaviour and how we grow crops and rear animals for consumption to how we manage the environment or use technology, clinical management strategies and challenging established cultural norms,” said Dr. Miles. 

Experts verify Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Ghana's poultry industry. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Scientists at the Veterinary Service Department and the CSIR – Animal Research Institute have confirmed IBV in Ghana’s poultry industry

The IBV impacts the respiratory, reproductive, and renal systems of chickens, leading to severe economic repercussions. Originating in the USA during the 1930s, IBV has since spread globally, including sub-Saharan Africa, with Ghana being notably affected. Despite the significant presence of IBV, vaccination against the virus in Ghana is not practiced, complicating efforts to control its spread.

Samples collected by scientists at the Veterinary Service Department and the CSIR – Animal Research Institute from farms across nine regions revealed the presence of IBV, a coronavirus causing significant economic losses. The virus leads to reduced poultry output, lower egg production, and a 5% mortality rate.

In a Channel One News interview during a stakeholders' workshop in Koforidua, Senior Research Scientists at the Animal Research Institute, Dr Matilda Ayim Akonnor and Dr Theophilus Odoom discussed their findings on IBV's prevalence, serotypes, and pathotypes in Ghana. They highlighted that IB (Infectious Bronchitis) is a major factor behind the closure of many poultry farms in the country.

Dr Akonnor stated, “Indeed, we have confirmed that the virus is present in all nine regions we visited. We have taken samples, analysed some, and confirmed the virus’s presence. We have also identified the serotype that is circulating around the country from outbreak investigations, and we hope to use this information to develop a vaccination schedule for the country’s poultry farmers.”

Feed the Future Innovation Lab team members currently or formerly associated with Iowa State's Department of Animal Science. (Image source: Iowa State University)

Scientists at Iowa State, the University of California-Davis and livestock research institutions in Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania have undertaken a 10-year project to enhance African poulry production

Outbreak of diseases like the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) is seen as a serious threat to production. Despite the availability of vaccines and biosecurity measures, it would be difficult to practically implement these programmes in countries like Africa where chickens are likely to be present in small numbers and scattered around. Warm temperatures also increase the susceptibility of these birds to infection.

In order to effectively address these issues, a large, multidisciplinary initiative was undertaken by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Genomics to Improve Poultry, with their findings summarised in a recent paper published in the World’s Poultry Science Journal.

The project adopted a number of unique approaches which included the development of a series of focus groups to understand the priorities of smallholder poultry farmers and the interventions they would find suitable. Scientists also studied birds exposed to disease in natural situations, rather than in more controlled experimental environments. 

Results showed that a regional breed, indigenous to the Fayoum region of Egypt was nore resistant to infection fom pathogens and to heat compared to a commercial Leghorn line derived from chickens in the US. Several genes were also identified as important candidates due to their influence on NDV viral replication. Researchers were also able to learn about the genetics of NDV and the strains prevalent in the various poultry-producing regions studied. This information is likely to help in the development of more effective methods to fight disease in the future.