This collaboration is part of the ALPHA (African Livestock Productivity and Health Advancement) Plus initiative, a five-year programme launched by Zoetis and supported by a $15.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The aquaculture objectives of the initiative are focused on building an understanding of the fish health needs of tilapia farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This will help identify appropriate solutions for preventative fish health management to support the sustainable growth of African aquaculture and improve food security in the region.
Dr Ben North, who leads the aquaculture components of the initiative for Pharmaq (the aquaculture health business of Zoetis), expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating: "We are excited to collaborate with NMBU on this important project that enables us to start understanding the fish health needs of tilapia producers on the African continent. By combining Pharmaq’s capabilities with NMBU's experience built through working in Africa, together with their network of institutional partners, we can begin the process of making our fish health solutions available to tilapia farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This partnership recognises the huge potential of aquaculture to improve livelihoods in Africa and aligns with Zoetis’ purpose of nurturing our world and humankind by advancing care for animals."
In a joint statement, Professors Øystein Evensen and Stephen Mutoloki, the lead scientists from NMBU, added: “We both look forward to working on this collaboration, which aligns well with research and training programmes that we are already involved in on the African continent.”
