program for enhancing the health and productivity of livestock
Divine Ekwem
Divine investigates the determinants of Foot and Mouth Disease virus circulation in livestock in Northern Tanzania
About me
I am a doctoral student, registered in the University of Glasgow, UK. My research is supported through a fellowship awarded as part of the Program for Enhancing the Health and Productivity of Livestock (PEHPL). PEHPL is an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania, in partnership with the University of Glasgow and others. Before commencing my current studies, I was involved in a research project investigating zoonotic pathogens in emerging livestock systems in sub-Saharan Africa through which I obtained a Masters by Research degree at the University of Glasgow. My other academic qualifications include: Masters in Public Health and Epidemiology (University of Dundee, UK), and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (University of Nigeria). In addition to these academic qualifications and research experiences, I have also worked in both government and private veterinary services, undertaking field surveillance activities on a wide range of animal diseases in Nigeria.
The determinants of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus circulation in livestock populations in northern Tanzania
Thesis Research Project
Research
The main objective of my research is to characterise FMD virus circulation in livestock population in northern Tanzania by combining information on circulating virus strains with livestock movement networks such as herd connectivity at key resource areas and market channels. The findings of my research will not only underpin the control of endemic FMD in Tanzania, but has also the potential to identify key transmission routes that would be important to reduce the threat of trans-boundary spread.