Veterinary & Biosecurity
Career Guidance session for finalist students held at CoVAB
The Livestock and Industrial Resources (LIR) Department at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) conducted a career guidance session for finalist students of the Bachelor of Bachelor of Animal Production Technology and Management (BAPT) and Bachelor of Industrial Livestock and Business (BILB).
The session held in the Centre for Biosecurity and Global Health (CEBIGH), on Friday 5th April covered several vital areas including writing a curriculum vitae, interview skills, the student’s achievements given the expectations from society, career insights, and employment prospects as well as how to seek out opportunities for further studies.
The first of its kind in the unit, the career guidance event was facilitated by experienced academicians many of whom teaching staff at the college specifically drawn from the Livestock and Industrial Resources Department including Professor Anthony Mugisha, Dr. Kizza Daniel, Dr. Herbert Mukiibi, Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira, Dr. Kisaka Joanne, Dr. Azuba Rose. The Industry was represented by Mr. Kibirige Ponsiano, the Chairperson of the Animal Production Society of Uganda.
Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira, Head of the Livestock and Industrial Resources Department reminded the finalist students that once out in the field they were responsible for their day-to-day programming, and that worrying and looking for sympathy or excuses were not applicable. She said there were several people with wide experience in the world of work willing to nurture them citing the example of professors and other facilitators who were lined up to address them and urged the outgoing students to utilize them. She encouraged them to ask as many questions as they could to benefit from the interaction maximally.
Dr. Daniel Kizza addressed the students on tips for writing a good CV. He said as people hit the world of work for the first time there was a need to find the best ways of marketing themselves using a well-laid-out CV, and he gave them tips on the best-selling format to improve their chances although he said there was no standard format. He cautioned them that many people miss employment because of poorly structured CVs. He further encouraged them to get a mentor who would offer support in areas that are important but were not taught in class. He said while writing the CV, they needed to tell the truth, use headings and subheadings, as well as regularly revise the CV in consideration of whom it is addressed. In the use of persons as referees, Dr. Kizza advised the students to inform them whenever they are used.
Dr. Herbert Mukiibi while talking on the subject of employing others rather than seeking employment noted that several students who go out in the field end up not getting employed hence the need to start enterprises to employ others. ‘Many employers will disappoint you and not give you jobs yet you can turn it around and instead of looking for a job, look out for problems’, he said. He encouraged the students to turn what would have been a job description into problem identification given that the majority of employers look for persons able to solve problems. ‘Go out and look for the problems, from circumstances like time, and space, and you advertise the problem, subtract 10% of the money, and pay salaries. It is up to you to choose the arm of looking for jobs or to seek out solutions for problems by being innovative and getting self-employment, he emphasized, after sharing his own experiences in the field.
Mr. Kibirige Ponsiano, the Chairperson of the Animal Production Society of Uganda (APSU) said their activities have been running with guidance from the university and their patron Prof. John David Kabasa. He explained the challenges they face as Animal Production Officials arising out of competition with other professions in the field and explained the steps taken so far to have them recognized as professionals in their own right.
‘I’m humbled to be in this place that has made me what I am, having come to the college as a mature student, he said while appreciating the LIR Department for having considered them in addressing the students. He urged the university, the college, and the departments to find ways of absorbing more of the graduates into their farms, the departments, and the college. He encouraged the students to seek opportunities for further studies and increase their opportunities to work. He encouraged them to find work amongst the farmers instead of fighting for the few places in the formal sector and urged them to go out to farmers with solutions to their problems, which if addressed will help on increasing the farmer’s incomes.
Prof. Anthony Mugisha urged the students to appreciate the difference between learning and education. ‘Are you aspiring to be educated or learned? Are you seeking out jobs or employment?, he queried as he called for a mindset change among the graduates. He explained that the problem at hand was narrowing our perspective in thinking that we train students to get jobs. He said the animal Value chain was so wide that a person could look at the different aspects and work on citing the example of addressing droughts which was identified as a major challenge in animal production.
Further, he clarified the difference between the two programs Bachelor of Bachelor of Animal Production Technology and Management (BAPT) and Bachelor of Industrial Livestock and Business (BILB) saying that the products of BILB were expected to be entrepreneurs, investors, job creators, business owners or business creators with an aim of wealth creation along livestock value chain while BAPT products were expected to be scientists, reaserchers, technologists, managers and extensionists.
Veterinary & Biosecurity
Experts Discuss Climate-Smart Agriculture and Livestock Feed Innovations in Uganda
Leading agricultural experts and stakeholders convened for a high-level roundtable discussion on climate-smart initiatives and livestock feed innovations in Uganda. Hosted at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, the event brought together scientists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas on sustainable agriculture and the future of livestock feeding.
In the opening remarks, Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira, the head of the Department of Livestock and Industrial Resources Department at CoVAB welcomed participants and expressed deep appreciation for their engagement, emphasizing the significance of such discussions in driving meaningful change. She acknowledged the progress made in climate-smart agriculture while stressing the need for thorough documentation and continued evaluation to ensure that all achievements are fully leveraged for future impact.
The Livestock Climate Smart Technologies Round Table Discussion is one of the activities organized under the four-year collaborative research project namely; Building Capacity for Innovation and Advancement of Climate Smart Agriculture in East and Southern Africa (CICSA-E&SA). One of its objectives is to develop a Climate Smart Agriculture platform that includes key stakeholders engaged and interested in key activities and initiatives that promote Climate Smart Agriculture practices and technologies to share experiences and lessons to further the resilience of farmers among others. The project is run by a project implementation committee comprised of Prof. John Tabuti, Prof. Josephine Esaete, Prof. Vincent Muwanika, and Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira.
Participants were drawn from key units including the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries (MAAIF), the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, (CAES), College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) among others and they included scientists and PhD students. Throughout the session, experts explored various innovative farming strategies, including improved manure management, the use of repurposed agricultural byproducts, and alternative feeding approaches such as insect-based feed and probiotics. The discussions highlighted the necessity of research-driven solutions to maximize efficiency and ensure safe adoption of these techniques.
With Uganda’s livestock industry expanding rapidly, concerns were raised about gaps in technical knowledge among farmers, particularly as modern farming practices evolve. Participants emphasized the importance of bridging this gap through better documentation, sensitization programs, and closer collaboration between researchers and farmers.
The discussions made some future projections based on available research and experiences drawn from elsewhere which projections indicate that Uganda will need to significantly increase its milk and meat production by 2050 to meet the growing demand. Experts underscored the importance of predictive models and data-driven research to assess feed availability, considering factors such as rising carbon dioxide levels that could affect grass protein content, which is a major component of livestock diets.
The discussions concluded with recommendations to strengthen stakeholder cooperation, enhance information-sharing efforts, and revive research dissemination initiatives. Dr. Nampanzira encouraged continued engagement, urging participants to contribute to future projects and explore funding opportunities to support similar discussions. This roundtable serves as a critical step toward sustainable agriculture, ensuring Uganda remains prepared to meet evolving climate and food security challenges.
During the discussions, participants reflected on various strategies farmers are adopting to cope with climate change, including innovative manure management and repurposing agricultural byproducts. While some methods have traditional roots, enhancing efficiency through research and technology was emphasized as crucial for long-term sustainability.
A key topic was the adoption of alternative feeding strategies such as insect-based feed, blood meal, and probiotics. Scientists highlighted the need for further research to validate these methods, ensuring they meet safety standards and are viable for widespread use. In addition, participants explored high-protein forage options, such as elephant grass from China, which boasts a 19% protein content. Experts warned, however, of the risks associated with introducing non-native plant species, stressing the importance of scientific guidance in agricultural innovations.
Another challenge addressed was the knowledge gap between farmers and researchers. With an increasing number of elite farmers investing in modern practices, the lack of technical oversight could lead to long-term negative effects. Stakeholders called for better documentation of successful farming methods and increased efforts in farmer education.
Discussions also touched on Uganda’s future food security, with projections indicating a 200% increase in milk demand and a 300% rise in meat production by 2050. Experts stressed the importance of data-driven research to assess feed availability and predict future needs, noting that rising carbon dioxide levels could diminish grass protein content, which was a major concern for livestock-dependent industries.
The event concluded with recommendations to strengthen multi-stakeholder engagement and revive research dissemination initiatives. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) was urged to develop regulatory frameworks, particularly on animal feed policy, to support sustainable livestock farming.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Nampanzira praised the participants for their dedication and called for continued collaboration in securing funding for future discussions. She encouraged experts to contribute to extension grants and policy formulation, recognizing the significance of collective action in addressing Uganda’s agricultural challenges.
Veterinary & Biosecurity
PREPARE4VBD Project Holds Final Workshop in Uganda; A Landmark in Vector-Borne Disease Preparedness
By Joseph Odoi
The final dissemination workshop of the EU-funded project: A Cross-Disciplinary Alliance to Identify, PREdict, and PrePARe for Emerging Vector-Borne Diseases (PREPARE4VBDs) was successfully held from May 5th to 8th, 2025 at Best Western Premier Garden Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda, marking the culmination of a five-year, cross-continental research effort addressing vector-borne diseases in the era of climate change and globalization.
The hybrid event attracted over 80 participants, including researchers, policymakers, health practitioners, veterinarians, early-career scientists, and students from Africa and Europe. The workshop featured two key sessions with; one at Best Western Premier Garden Hotel, Entebbe, and another at the Centre for Biosecurity, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University.
In his opening remarks, Professor Lawrence Mugisha (Uganda’s Co-Principal Investigator from CoVAB, Makerere University), officially welcomed all stakeholders and highlighted that the purpose of the workshop was to share research findings and engage stakeholders as the project wraps up. The project commenced in September 2021 and will end in August 2025.
Prof. Mugisha noted that the overall aim of PREPARE4VBD is to strengthen preparedness in Africa and Europe for emerging zoonotic vector-borne diseases, especially in an era of climate change and increasing global interconnectedness by (a) Creating a broad, and conceptual knowledge about vector-borne disease emergence and responses to climate change that reaches beyond specific diseases, vector species, borders or scientific disciplines (b)Improving prediction and preparedness in Africa and Europe for zoonotic vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and freshwater snails to livestock and humans under climate change and globalization.
In a project overview, the PREPARE4VBD Principal Investigator, Professor Anna-Sofie Stensgaard from the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, noted that vector-borne diseases are on the move, accounting for 17% of all infectious diseases and causing 700,000 deaths across the globe each year. She emphasized that zoonotics can’t be isolated as a human or animal health issue.
“The problem is growing and they are on the move,” she said, pointing to increased outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever, Dengue, West Nile, Chikungunya, Fasciolosis, and Schistosomiasis.
Because of this, she noted that the project thought of the need for cross-cutting and in-depth knowledge to improve surveillance and build capacity for early detection, as vector-borne diseases respect no borders. This, she explained, justified the formation of a multidisciplinary team consisting of 10 complementary partner institutions in Europe and Africa.
In terms of approach, she noted that the project used a proactive approach that focuses on addressing VBDs at a lower level, rather than the usual reactive approach that tackles diseases after they present themselves in large numbers.
More specifically, Professor Anna-Sofie noted that PREPARE4VBD focused on four thematic areas aimed at
A) Building knowledge through baseline data collection of neglected tick-, mosquito-, and snail-borne VBDs of importance for animal and human health in endemic African countries.
B) Assessing their capacity to adapt and spread to new areas using a holo-genomics approach and state-of-the-art climate change impact modelling.
C) Developing novel, sensitive diagnostic tools and model-based surveillance for rapid VBD discovery and early warning.
D) Strengthening the capacity for detection and surveillance of the targeted VBDs through training, effective communication, and dissemination of freely available data.
As part of project activities, Professor Anna-Sofie shared that the project conducted
- Training of 4 MSc students and 11 PhD fellows, as well as early-career researcher summer schools in Uganda and Kenya.
- Engaging fellows in the poster sessions and technical workshops, such as molecular diagnostics and VBD modeling.
- Promotion of transdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange among partners across Africa and Europe.
In terms of key project achievements, she noted the project was able to achieve the following
- The development of a new AI-assisted Mini-FLOTAC microscope model.
- Creation of a model for Rift Valley Fever transmission and analysis of climate change impacts on snail-borne diseases.
- Discovery of an Ixodes tick species in Kenya, which was previously only known in Europe.
- Large-scale vector-snail warming experiments conducted across different climates, from South Africa to Denmark.
- Creation of a Global Vector Database (GVD) for centralized vector data collection.
- Development of non-invasive diagnostic tools, including PCR tools for pathogen detection in livestock blood/tick fluids, environmental DNA methods for liver fluke detection, and establishment of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and training videos, all publicly accessible online.
Research Highlights in Uganda
In terms of consortium research highlights from the VBD project in Uganda, Adriko Moses from the Ministry of Health shared a multi-stakeholder approach to mitigate risks of liver fluke infections, a zoonotic disease affecting humans and animals.
Six districts near lake basins were studied: Hoima, Buliisa, Apac, Lira, Jinja, and Mayuge. The study involved 300 human samples, with 2 positive cases identified. Findings also highlighted damaged livers in slaughtered animals.
To address this trend in Uganda, the following policy recommendations were made from the study
Policy Recommendations for Control and Prevention of Liver Fluke Disease in Uganda
- Strengthen meat inspection policy in Uganda, including livestock testing before slaughter and enhanced meat testing protocols.
- Promote vegetable hygiene to control zoonotic fascioliasis—a parasitic infection transmitted through contaminated food.
- Scale up veterinary interventions in livestock through collaboration between farmers and veterinary services.
- Establish surveillance systems to monitor infections among livestock.
- Increase community engagement to improve health education and foster community-led health initiatives.
Remarks from Government and Academia
Dr. Peter Wanyama, representing the Commissioner for Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), commended the consortium for selecting Uganda and recognized the threat of VBDs to both animal and human health, as well as national development. He noted the challenge of tick resistance, and that MAAIF is constructing 69 diagnostic laboratories to address emerging vector-borne threats. He emphasized the need for local knowledge, effective communication, and knowledge translation.
Dr. Allan Muruta, Guest of Honour and Commissioner for Animal Health Services at the Ministry of Health, welcomed the multidisciplinary team to Uganda on behalf of the Minister of State for Primary Health Care.
He thanked the consortium for a well-done multidisciplinary effort addressing the growing challenge of vector-borne diseases in Africa. As a technical officer in surveillance, Dr. Muruta appreciated the project’s clear planning and timely execution.
“Africa is endemic to zoonotic diseases but allow me to share what the Ministry of Health has done. Our Integrated Surveillance Department has set up coordinated responses to several public health issues,” he shared.
He welcomed the findings and policy briefs developed through the research, noting they are relevant, science-based, and practical. He said the Ministry of Health has clear structures for handling policy issues and committed to engaging further to ensure policy uptake and action.
“All the policy briefs are feasible, new, and based on up-to-date science. The Ministry will follow through to see these policies implemented.”
He further noted that Uganda already has a functional One Health platform bringing together directors from health, water, and wildlife sectors. However, he emphasized the need to strengthen data sharing across the sub-national level. The Ministry, he said, is engaging with different sectors to make this happen.
Dr. Muruta reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s openness to more collaboration in tackling zoonotic diseases and strengthening the One Health approach.
Prof. Frank Mwine, Principal of CoVAB, Makerere University, welcomed participants and applauded collaborative efforts in addressing vector-borne diseases.
In his remarks at Makerere University, Prof. Frank Mwine welcomed the diverse participants and thanked Prof. Lawrence Mugisha for his proven coordination and mobilization around One Health. He acknowledged the growing threats posed by climate change and emphasized the interconnectedness of ecosystems citing how birds migrate from Europe to Africa—as a reason for cross-border collaboration.
He commended the PREPARE4VBD project team for their unique research and innovations aimed at addressing vector-borne diseases and appreciated the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme for supporting such a critical initiative.
Looking ahead, Prof. Mwine stressed the importance of training the next generation to strengthen preparedness and response efforts in the future.
In a cross-country experience-sharing session involving Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, and South Africa, coordinated by Prof. Moses J. Chimbari (South Africa), participants agreed on the urgent need to integrate One Health into university curricula and bring together diverse disciplines to address vector-borne diseases caused by climate change and other complex factors.
In this engagement, there were a number of panel discussions revolving around translating policy recommendations into practical actions for long-term impact. Prof Lawrence Mugisha at this engagement announced that another dissemination on VBDs project outcomes will be held specifically for Students who were doing exams at the time of the Project dissemination
Workshop Highlights
Key research outcomes were presented, including the development of a Global Vector Database (GVD), AI-assisted diagnostic tools, and predictive climate-disease models.
The Entebbe session hosted high-level stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, NGOs, and international research bodies. Discussions emphasized the importance of translating research into policy and action.
For outreach and dissemination, thirteen policy briefs were shared, alongside posters, infopacks, risk maps, peer-reviewed publications, newsletters, and fellow-driven blog posts all aimed at sustaining knowledge exchange beyond the project lifespan.
Notable to mention was the development of a knowledge co-production model under the project, titled “Knowledge Co-Construction in Stakeholder Engagement Workshops in Health Research” by Kathrin Heitz Tokpa, Lawrence Mugisha, Moses Chimbari, and Bassirou Bonfoh.
The project has notably enhanced Africa Europe scientific cooperation and empowered local institutions with tools and training to detect, track, and control emerging diseases.
About the Project
PREPARE4VBD is a multi-disciplinary consortium that brings together 10 university and ministerial partners from 5 African and 3 European countries, united to address a future with increasingly changing global patterns of zoonotic vector-borne diseases through a holistic, pro-active approach that reaches beyond specific diseases, vector species, borders or scientific disciplines.
Project partners included; Makerere University, Sokoine University of Agriculture, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Naples Federico II, Swiss TPH, University of Bern, ICIPE, Uganda’s Vector Control Division, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, and Tanzania’s NIMR.
The project is part of Horizon 2020’s research and innovation actions (Grant agreement No. 101000365: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101000365) and is coordinated by the University of Copenhagen’s GLOBE Institute and Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
To read more about the project, visit the PREPARE4VBD website (www.prepare4vbd.eu), which offers key resources on vector-borne disease preparedness, including open-access tools, training materials, and research outputs to support continuous capacity building.
Veterinary & Biosecurity
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