Africa: Last Mile Initiative Reaches Over 40,000 Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa

6 March 2023
Ghanaian Times (Accra)

Last Mile, an initiative to train smallholder farmers in Africa on the prevention of animal diseases and leverage access to veterinary medicine, has reached more than 40,000 farmers in six countries.

The initiative aims to bridge the gap in access, availability, and awareness of animal health care solutions in hard-to-reach areas.

This improves productivity and income generation, hence ensuring food security and liveli­hood for the local communities.

Last Mile, launched in 2018, is an initiative by Boehringer Ingelheim, in partnership with the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GAL­Vmed) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

It supports smallholder farm­ers in Kenya, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia, and has enabled 56 product regis­trations in these countries as well as Uganda and Tanzania.

By increasing the number of registered products, Boehringer Ingelheim facilitates access to more treatment options for farm­ers and veterinarians.

Tiago Teixeira, Project Lead for Last Mile at Boehringer Ingelheim, in a statement issued in Accra said, "Last Mile is a sus­tainable model for smallholder farmers with a positive impact on vulnerable communities. It sup­ports our commitment towards improving the health and well­being of animals by increasing disease awareness and improving access to animal medicine".

Animal technicians from local communities play a crucial role in demonstrating product usage and providing education to small­holder farmers.

More than 20 animal techni­cians held close to 20,000 farm visits and consulted more than 17,000 agricultural retail shops on how to optimise product avail­ability and shelving.

Furthermore, during more than 8,600 visits to veterinarians, animal technicians provided them with information and training on prevention and treatment options.

Ayman Eissa, Head of Sustainable Development - For Generations at Boehringer Ingelheim India, Middle East, Turkey and Africa shares, said "At Boehringer Ingelheim, we are committed to addressing global health challenges in developing countries and improving ani­mal health. With our Last Mile initiative, we aim to strengthen smallholder farmers' income and productivity, highlight the importance of disease prevention to ensure food security, and drive sustainable businesses that are integrated into the wider econo­my in Africa".

Read the original article on Ghanaian Times.

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