Livestock health
Livestock are a vital asset to millions of people. However, endemic, epidemic and even sporadic diseases present a formidable challenge to productivity. Moreover many diseases are zoonotic; they are transmissible between animals and humans and this is a threat to livestock keepers and service providers among others. It is therefore important to develop and disseminate tools/information to control, monitor and manage animal diseases. 

The following are the main objectives of the animal health programme:

Disease control

• To develop rapid, cost-effective and accurate diagnostic methods
• To develop and/or test vaccines
• Evaluate new and existing drugs for efficacy and safety
• Offer diagnostic services
• Identify and monitor animal breeds for genetic resistance to disease pathogens and vectors

Disease transmission and impact

• Pathogenesis and pathology
• Generation of epidemiological data for use in designing strategic control measures
• Studies on virulence factors for vaccine production
• Quantification of economic impact of disease

Technology transfer Technology transfer is done through:

• Regional research programmes
• Collaboration with relevant extension staff and livestock keepers
• Publications
• Farmer workshops
• Field days

Technology processing and packaging

• A technology processing and packaging unit is meant to produce products for research and for sale. Examples include antigens and antisera for preparing diagnostic kits. This is a newly conceptualised idea under the implementation framework of KARI’s strategic plan 2009-2014.

Since 1995 the Centre focuses its research agenda on the needs of the end users by addressing demand-driven research and technology transfer. This resulted in a significant shift from mainly laboratory based research to increased interaction with livestock keepers. To this end an epidemiology and socio-economics unit was established to enhance the effectiveness of farmer-oriented research and to assess the economic effects of disease and control interventions.
In addition to the national mandate, the VRC is a Food and Agricultural Organisation’s (FAO) East African regional reference centre for CBPP, CCPP, rinderpest and Peste des petits ruminants (PPR). Until recently, the centre was also an OIE reference centre for rinderpest.
In the past the Centre was producing a number of vaccines (rinderpest, CBPP, CCPP etc) but in 1991 this function was transferred to the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI). The rinderpest vaccine was developed at the centre and was used to eradicate the disease in Africa.

Centre Research Sub-programmes