The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit an experienced and motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to lead a rigorous, interdisciplinary applied research program quantifying the economic returns, environmental benefits, and policy implications of scaling thermostable PPR vaccination in Mali.
ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR Research Centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org
Background
Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in sheep and goat populations in Mali. This disease imposes substantial socio-economic burdens, threatening livelihoods, reducing productivity, and undermining national food security and rural economies. PPR outbreaks restrict livestock trade and escalate emergency veterinary response costs.
The locally produced thermostable OvipestePlus vaccine, stable at elevated ambient temperatures for several days, eliminates the constraints of the conventional cold chain, enhancing logistical feasibility and cost-effectiveness, especially in remote pastoral settings with limited veterinary infrastructure. Its demonstrated high efficacy and reduced wastage align with Mali’s National PPR Eradication Strategy and support the Global PPR Eradication Plan 2030.
The impacts of the vaccination programs are multiple and may result in improved herd productivity and survival along with concomitant decreases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity per unit of meat and milk which support Mali’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). However, the environmental impacts of nationwide vaccine scale-up are yet to be quantified, necessitating robust evidence to guide policy and investment.
The research will generate actionable evidence for policymakers, donors, and implementing partners to optimize vaccine deployment strategies and financing mechanisms.