Prof @sallybukachi1, Director of Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies, @uonbi, understands how communities interact with new information that is not quite aligned to their beliefs. After all, she has worked for nearly three decades at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. Sometimes, people resist when scientists bring to them uncomfortable truths. Sometimes, advocating for #Onehealth becomes complicated because cultural practices and beliefs collide with facts. Sometimes a good deal of diplomacy is necessary to get an argument through. Sometimes... Prof Bukachi is the expert, so from her we hear. Thursday, April 16, at 1930hrs EAT (UTC 3). 📍: youtube.com/@AfriCenter #COHESA #MakeScienceCount

In Kenya, the weatherman has warned that severe downpours could hit 22 (out of the total 47) counties. In wet conditions, the Rift Valley Fever, which infects both ruminant animals and humans, spreads extensively. This zoonotic arthropod-borne viral disease continues to ravage communities once every so often, with one of the surest ways of dealing with it being consistent creation of awareness among the people. Pastoralist communities should, especially: ✍ Avoid contact with sick animals and their products, eg dairy ✍ Work with veterinarians to quickly identify, and treat, sick animals ✍ Practice good hygiene, eg regular handwashing with soap ✍ Control vector populations eg clearing mosquito breeding areas ✍ Prevent oneself from mosquito bites eg by using repellants, mosquito nets Animals in endemic regions can be vaccinated in advance. The One Health approach seeks to find an interdisciplinary approach towards achievement of optimal and sustainable health outcomes among human, animal and environment sectors- and is hugely important in such an instances. #OneHealth #MakeScienceCount #AfricaScienceDialogue

Kenya is experiencing severe hunger which, according to the United Nations, has directly affected over 2.1 million people, particularly in the northeastern region. Communities living in these areas are mainly pastoralist, and so cattle have been dying in droves. As Kenya, and other parts of Africa, face erratic weather patterns, and livestock farmers continue to suffer shortages of feeds, we maintain that adoption of biotech foods and feeds will shield thousands, if not millions, of people and cattle from debilitating famines. The cost of delay, especially through protracted court battles, is greatly detrimental to our countries' socio-economic wellbeing. To speed up adoption and ease availability of food and feed to communities in distress is a discussion we seriously need to prioritise. ISAAA AfriCenter stands ready to support with any information and knowledge products needed towards these initiatives, and convenings to this effect. Although not the silver bullet to the drought crises, the world has the technology to mitigate effects of droughts, and we should optimize it. #MakeScienceCount #FoodForThought

A win for #Kenya as environment court dismisses case challenging release and planting of #GMOs. Justice Angote says there is no evidence to show that there is any harm to environment or human health. #TalkGMOFacts #MakeScienceCount

Science immensely contributes towards a safe, clean and healthy environment #WorldEnvironmentDay #BeatPlasticPollution #MakeScienceCount

Very progressive. Going into the future with science. One other thing that genome editing does is democratization of the benefits of science. #MakeScienceCount isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupda…

Very progressive. Going into the future with science. One other thing that genome editing does is democratization of the benefits of science. #MakeScienceCount ow.ly/StS750OhZBN

Prof Mwaje- Only 1.6% of the global agriculture is on organic farming. Let's face the truth, this will not feed our more than 8 billion people around the world #MakeScienceCount @OFABKenya @afri_isaaa

PS Harry Kimutai, MOALF, Kenya- There's really nothing to fear about GMOs. And I agree. #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts @BiosafetyKenya @afri_isaaa @OFABKenya

Grateful that out of my contribution to the #11thBiosafetyKeCon, someone's understanding of #GMOs has taken a turn around. Until next time #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts @BiosafetyKenya @afri_isaaa @OFABKenya

I ll be giving a talk on global status of GM crops and animals approvals at 9.45 am EAT. #11thBiosafetyKeCon #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts @BiosafetyKenya @afri_isaaa @OFABKenya

Prof. Oduor- technologies, specifically organic and modern biotechnology that produces GMOs must be allowed to co-exist @afri_isaaa @OFABKenya @BiosafetyKenya @KenyattaUni #11thBiosafetyKeCon #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts

Prof Oduor addresses the misirepresention of facts on GMOs out of use wrong imagery. #11thBiosafetyKeCon #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts @afri_isaaa @OFABKenya @BiosafetyKenya @KenyattaUni

Prof Oduor- How can we make Agric trendy for the young generation. Also, agric workforce in Kenya's agric is 65 years and older?@BiosafetyKenya @afri_isaaa @OFABKenya #11thbiosafetykecon #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts

Two things about this photo in #myfarm:1. Without insecticide spray, the Bt cotton on the right will give me yields, the opposite is true for the photo on the left 2. Cotton is the only crop surviving the drought and heat at this time of year. #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts

Two things about this photo: 1.Cotton is the only crop surviving the drought and heat. 2. The Bt cotton on the right will give yields without insecticide spray, on the left, the exact opposite. #TalkGMOFacts #MakeScienceCount @OFABKenya @afri_isaaa

Awesome read. Said it as I would, at a farmer's standpoint. #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts

They call it a semi-xerophyte. My Bt cotton trial. So far so good even with no rainfall. #MakeScienceCount #TalkGMOFacts

The benefits of #biotechnology should be included in the language of Target 17, says delegates at #COP15🇨🇦 It should show that biotechnology can help with achieving the sustainable development goals #NatureCOP #MakeScienceCount @afri_isaaa @PublicResearch @iGEM @BiosafetyNig

Dr.Mugiira, CEO @BiosafetyKenya: "We are determined the language of Target 17 will go our way. In a negotiation, there's give & take so we will put our best foot forward. We have formed a group of like-minded parties to enhance our negotiation potential." #COP15 #MakeScienceCount