Abstract

The projected growth of the human population to 2030 and beyond and an increased demand for animal sourced food because of income growth and urbanization provides several opportunities for science to help achieve some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by increasing food production, especially in low to middle income countries (LMICs). Unfortunately, livestock productivity in LMI Cs is low, a productivity gap that could be reduced by institutional and policy changes, and by improving animal breeds, their health and quality of feed.

Vaccines represent one of the most effective and sustainable inventions for disease control, especially in under-resourced agricultural systems. ILRI with partners is building a hub for research dedicated to developing vaccine-based solutions to reduce disease burdens that limit livestock productivity in smallholder and pastoral farming systems in LIM Cs. An example of vaccine development research on an intra-cellular protozoan pathogen called Theileria parva, which usually causes a lethal cancer-like disease in cattle called East Coast fever (ECF) will be presented. Technologies that identify and generate parasite-specific neutralizing antibodies and MHC class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are of particular interest as both arms of the bovine immune response play a role in mediating immunity to ECF .