VWB welcomes Janine Mitchell as its new Executive Director, bringing over 20 years of global health and One Health leadership across 30+ countries. As she works alongside outgoing ED Charmaine Brett during the transition, Janine is poised to guide VWB into its next chapter—advancing its mission and 2025–2030 Strategic Plan to improve lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen communities worldwide.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you inspiring stories from the field, showcasing the impactful work of our dedicated VETS program volunteers. Meet Dr. Riley Bauman (DVM), an Animal Health Advisor who spent two months in Kenya (April–June 2025), working alongside smallholder dairy farmers and Meru Dairy staff to promote animal health, gender equity, and sustainable livelihoods.
This article explores the persistent threat of anthrax and the critical need for community-led surveillance in preventing zoonotic outbreaks. It highlights how VWB’s One Health approach—through the COHERS program, CAHW training, and gender-responsive outreach—strengthens local capacity to detect and manage neglected diseases, protecting both human and animal health in vulnerable communities.
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog was written by Guy Audet, a Business Development Advisor who supported our VETS program partner, WIPVaC-Apex, in Ghana from March to May 2025.
In Meru County, Kenya, Community One Health Champion Ann Kagwira is improving her farm’s productivity and herd health through ongoing collaboration with VETS volunteers and Meru Dairy — demonstrating how long-term support and continuous learning can drive lasting change for farmers and their communities.
As VWB’s Executive Director, Charmaine Brett, prepares to step down in September, she reflects on four years of transformative global work, celebrating milestones in animal care, community resilience, and One Health initiatives. With its bold 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, VWB remains committed to advancing its mission and recruiting new leadership to build on this momentum.
Megan Sylka, Senior Program Officer at VWB, shares how her recent visit to Kenya revealed the powerful ripple effects of the VETS program—highlighting how Community One Health Champion Shelmith Mwai is transforming her dairy farm, her family dynamics, and her community through knowledge, leadership, and collaboration.
This article examines how a One Health approach can transform food safety systems by addressing the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment—highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration, innovations like Canada’s CFSIN, and global strategies to mitigate risks such as antimicrobial resistance, climate change, and zoonotic disease.
VWB announces the upcoming departure of Executive Director Charmaine Brett, who will step down in September after four years of visionary leadership. As Charmaine begins a new chapter, VWB remains grounded in its mission and Strategic Plan—continuing to lead global One Health efforts that improve lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen communities.
Watch a replay of our World Environment Day 2025 webinar which showcased the voices of VWB’s VETS volunteers working alongside local partners to advance climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and One Health solutions. The panelists shared community-led approaches, environmental challenges, and practical innovations from Cambodia, Kenya, and Laos.
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.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers. Meet Kavitha Misra, a Gender Advisor in Vietnam from February 2021 to October 2023. Drawing on her volunteer experience — and her ongoing role as VWB’s Gender Advisor — Kavitha reflects on how her placement shaped her confidence, perspective, and approach to gender-responsive One Health work.
A community awareness event in rural Senegal offers a window into how local partners and Community Animal Health Workers are building a culture of prevention through dialogue, trust, and repeated engagement under the COHERS program.
