VWB works with communities and local partners across Sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen animal health, livelihoods, and resilience through community-led One Health programs.
What We're Working On
In Sub-Saharan Africa, investing in animal health is essential not just for the well-being of animals but also for the prosperity of the local communities that rely on them for their livelihoods. This region faces unique challenges due to climate change, which underscores the urgency of adopting sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices.
At VWB, we are deeply committed to working hand-in-hand with local partners and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa through a range of One Health projects. One initiative is the extensive Volunteers Engaged in Gender-Responsive Technical Solutions (VETS) program, generously funded by Global Affairs Canada. From 2020-2028, this program will deploy 190 dedicated Canadian volunteers on behalf of VWB to Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. The primary goal is to uplift the economic and social well-being of marginalized individuals, especially women and girls, in six countries across Africa and Asia.
In South Sudan, VWB worked for many years to implement interventions that strengthen agricultural resilience, reduce vulnerabilities, and enhance the capacity of local communities to cope with challenges at the national level.
Similarly, our Community One Health Empowerment Rwanda and Senegal (COHERS) program is in close partnership with local organizations. Together, we are dedicated to advancing public health, veterinary care, and environmental policies under a single, inclusive umbrella. Our approach balances the well-being of humans, animals, and ecosystems throughout the region.
See below to learn more about each of our current projects in Africa.
To empower communities to improve health outcomes through One Health approaches to prevent, detect, and respond to prevalent zoonoses, including anthrax and cysticercosis.
Global Affairs Canada
Rwanda and Senegal
To strengthen community-based animal health systems and improve the livelihoods of women smallholder farmers by expanding access to veterinary services, strengthening local capacity, promoting One Health practices, and supporting women-led livestock enterprises.
Zoetis Foundation
Ghana
To work to improve the economic and social well-being of the world’s most marginalized people, particularly women and girls, in six countries in Africa and Asia.
Ghana, Kenya, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Senegal
To enhance food security, economic resilience, and community well-being in Nyeri County, Kenya, by providing at-risk families-especially those caring for children with disabilities-with sustainable livestock and agricultural solutions.
Gay Lea Foundation
Kenya
To enhance the resilience of pastoralist communities in Torit County against animal diseases, including zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Zoetis Foundation
South Sudan
To improve the health and economic security of women and girls in Ghana through an integrated One Health approach that addresses animal health and food production.
Peter Gilgan Foundation
Ghana
In this edition of Ask an Expert, we spoke with veterinarian Dr. Elena Garde, whose career has spanned wildlife disease research, zoonotic disease, disaster response and community-based animal health across Canada, Latin America and beyond.
Register now for our World AMR Awareness Week 2026 webinar, which brings together experts in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), animal health, and One Health to examine where progress is being made in the global response to AMR, why gaps persist between policy commitments and implementation, and what stronger coordination across human, animal, and environmental health can contribute to meaningful, lasting change.
Written by Janine Mitchell, Executive Director of VWB, in recognition of One Health Day (November 3), this article draws on the FAO Global Conference for Actions on One Health in Agrifood Systems and the VSF International General Assembly to explore what it takes to turn One Health commitments into action—from building equitable partnerships and strengthening collaboration to ensuring practical systems and accountability.
