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's local team is working 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.
Community One Health Empowerment in Rwanda and Senegal (COHERS)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
Strengthening One Health Systems for the Protection of Health and Livelihoods (1-SHOP)To enhance the resilience of pastoralist communities in Torit County against animal diseases, including zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Zoetis Foundation
Volunteers Engaged in Gender-Responsive Technical Solutions (VETS)To work to improve the economic and social well-being of the world’s most marginalized people, particularly women and girls, in six countries across Africa and Asia (i.e., Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam).
Global Affairs Canada
Women in Livestock Microenterprise Development (WILMED)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
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local leader shaping change on the ground. Dr. Victoria Norgbey has dedicated over four decades to strengthening Ghana’s poultry sector and empowering women through WIPVaC-Apex Ghana, a key VETS partner.
As the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists unfolds, VWB explores why mobility is not a barrier to care — but a blueprint for designing resilient, equitable animal health systems in rangeland and remote communities.
Khadia Diallo’s story reveals how women Community Animal Health Workers in rural Senegal are strengthening disease prevention from the ground up — caring for animals, supporting families, and translating One Health principles into everyday practice through the COHERS program.
