Village chickens play a vital role in many poor rural households. They provide scarce animal protein (in the form of meat and eggs) and can be sold or bartered to meet essential family needs. Village poultry are generally owned and managed by women and children. Improving their production can provide the first step out of poverty for the rural poor. Yet, in many countries, Newcastle disease (ND) is endemic and causes high mortality in village chicken flocks on an annual basis.

Dr Robyn Alders, Associate Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, with support from the Australian aid program and other donors, has worked for the last two decades to develop vaccines and community-based programs for the control of ND in several African and Asian countries. The results have generated a wide range of benefits well beyond the immediate impact of improving village chicken production, including the creation of a sustainable ND control model.

Dr Alders was recently invested as an Officer of the Order of Australia for her pioneering work in this area. In this public seminar, she will share her inspirational experience and the lessons learnt over the last two decades.

This seminar is presented by the Development Policy Centre at the Crawford School of Public Policy and the ANU African Studies Network.

Further information about the Development Policy Centre: devpolicy.anu.edu.au

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