Ceva, ILRI join forces to launch Animal Health Innovation Hub in Nairobi

KENYA – Ceva Santé Animale, one of the world’s largest animal health companies, and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an Animal Health Innovation Hub at ILRI’s Nairobi campus. 

The initiative is designed to tackle the pressing challenges of the continent’s livestock disease and productivity loss. 

The Hub will serve as a collaborative platform for scientists, researchers, and industry stakeholders to drive research, innovation, and capacity-building in animal health.

Africa loses an estimated US$9 billion each year due to poor animal health, about 6 percent of the total value of the livestock sector. 

These losses are especially devastating for pastoralists and smallholder farmers who depend on livestock for food, income, and livelihoods.

“This partnership with Ceva underscores our shared commitment to improving livestock health and productivity in Africa by bringing research solutions to the market,” said Appolinaire Djikeng, director general of ILRI. 

“Leveraging ILRI’s research expertise and links to local-level partners and Ceva’s global experience in animal health, we aim to create sustainable solutions that will benefit farmers and communities across the African continent.”

The Innovation Hub will focus on five priority areas: vaccine development tailored to Africa’s livestock; deployment of data monitoring systems; local capacity-building through technical transfer; creation of real-time market insights; and expansion of the animal health ecosystem by attracting startups and service providers.

Marc Prikazsky, chairman and CEO of Ceva Santé Animale, emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative. 

“Innovation is at the core of Ceva’s mission, and Africa represents a key priority for our efforts to improve animal health,” he said. “Through this Innovation Hub, we will work closely with ILRI and other stakeholders to ensure that scientific advancements translate into real-world impact for African farmers.”

By combining ILRI’s research power with Ceva’s industrial expertise, the Hub aims to provide solutions that reduce animal disease, boost productivity, and limit the environmental footprint of livestock farming. 

Diseased animals not only yield less meat and milk but also produce higher greenhouse gas emissions relative to their productivity.

The Hub is expected to become a nexus of collaboration among African scientists, private companies, and policymakers. 

Its creation underscores a growing recognition that improving animal health is central to the continent’s food security, economic growth, and climate resilience.

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