AVC veterinary team makes impact in Kenya
In January 2025, the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) dairy veterinary team completed another successful trip to Meru County, Kenya, as part of the long-standing partnership with Farmers Helping Farmers (FHF), the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), and Alinea International.
Led by Dr. John VanLeeuwen, professor of epidemiology and ruminant health management, the team included fourth-year AVC students Carolanne Martel, Jill Lawless, Amy Stoyles, and Brianna Forbes, who were enrolled in the “International Smallholder Livestock Health Management in Kenya Rotation”. Assisting them were Dr. Martha Mellish, an ambulatory equine professor at AVC, along with AVC graduate Dr. Anya Floyd, and Dr. Victoria Bowes, a poultry pathologist from British Columbia. They also worked on their own Kenyan projects—Drs Mellish and Floyd on donkey welfare and Dr. Bowes on poultry production.
Equipped with veterinary medicine and supplies donated by pharmaceutical companies, the team conducted three walk-in clinics for cattle that are not zero-grazed in Naari, Nkando, and Mbaaria. Over 800 cattle were treated with dewormers, and more than 150 animals from over 100 farms were examined for various health concerns.
The AVC team treated another 20 sick animals for various problems, including East Coast Fever, anaplasmosis, parasite infestations, and udder infections, which, along with inadequate nutrition, led to low milk production, poor reproduction, and inadequate growth. Interesting cases included a difficult calf birth, skin hypersensitization, rain scald, eye trauma, teat laceration, and goat pneumonia.
They also provided hands-on training through the Dairy Club Training Program, educating over 175 Kenyan farmers on One Health; zoonotic disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; antimicrobial resistance; and aflatoxin management. These training sessions were part of the Gender Responsive One Health project, aiming to improve both animal and human health.
The dairy vet team also worked with Kenyan animal health professionals, including Dr. Remmy Mugambi, Tornado Vet Clinic, Meru; Dr. Fredrick Obonyo, Meru University of Science and Technology; Grace Mutare, Joy Wangari, Rodney Gichohi, and Eric Gitonga, senior veterinary students from Nairobi University; and local veterinary technicians. The Kenyan group provided their expertise when examining sick animals, shared their perspectives during training sessions, and learned from our “best management practices” training messages for farmers and from our systematic approaches to working up cases, diagnosing and treating ailments, and providing health management advice.
Members of the AVC team also visited a livestock market, agrovet shops, and a university in Meru County to explore options for collaborating on outreach, training, and research activities related to the Gender Responsive One Health project.
Thank you to all our supporters for their assistance in making our work possible, leading to improved dairy cattle health and productivity, and community health and self-sufficiency, achieved in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Special thanks to FHF for its support, especially Kenyan staff members Leah Kariuku and Stephen Chandi; Ken and Teresa Mellish; and Colleen Walton. Also, thanks to Global Affairs Canada for funding some of the activities, and the many veterinarians who donated funds to help cover some of the student expenses. Planning has already begun for the next trip to Kenya in May 2025 when a UPEI team will start some research projects funded by the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program.
