Dr. Willy Mwangi from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, was awarded $9,945 for an 18-month project: “Spatial and molecular epidemiology of Giardia duodenalis in shelter and client-owned dogs in Nairobi County, Kenya.” The African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN), a project supported by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's (WSAVA) Charitable Foundation, has announced the recipients of the 2018 AFSCAN Research and Studentship Awards. AFSCAN Research Awards AFSCAN Research Awards offer academics working at a veterinary school in Africa the opportunity to secure a grant to fund a locally relevant clinical research project of their devising in partnership with a research laboratory overseas. From six applications this year, two projects have been selected for funding following review by the WSAVA scientific advisory committee and the AFSCAN management board. Dr. Willy Mwangi from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, has been awarded $9,945 for an 18-month project: “Spatial and molecular epidemiology of Giardia duodenalis in shelter and client-owned dogs in Nairobi County, Kenya.” Dr. Adekunle Bamidele Ayinmode from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, has been awarded $8,170 for a two-year project: “Prevalence and genetic characteristics of Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis in clinical samples from cats and dogs in south west Nigeria.” AFSCAN Studentship Awards The AFSCAN Studentship Awards enable a fourth- or fifth-year African undergraduate veterinary student to spend six to eight weeks participating in research related to disease or the welfare of companion animals of relevance to African society. Three awards have been made this year: Caroline Mphaka from Sokoine University, Tanzania, has been awarded $1,000 to enable her to work on “Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dogs and dog owners from Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania.” Freddy Samuntu from the University of Namibia has been awarded $1,000 to work on “Developing and investigating the feasibility of introducing a companion animal electronic vaccination records database.” Wasswa Auther Tamale, who attends Makerere University in Uganda has been awarded $1,000 to work on “Prevalence of canine gastrointestinal helminths and risk perception of zoonotic infection by dog owners in the Kampala District, Uganda.” AFSCAN advances standards of veterinary care across Africa through education and creating a sustainable network of companion animal veterinarians, associations, and specialist groups in Sub-Saharan Africa. Countries currently participating include Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ghana. The research awards are supported by Zoetis, the UK Petplan Charitable Trust, and the Swiss Small Animal Veterinary Association. “We launched these awards in 2016 to increase the knowledge base of diseases and welfare issues affecting companion animals in Africa and to build links between African veterinary researchers and laboratories in the U.S. and Europe,” said Michael Day, BSc, BVMS (Hons), Ph.D., DSc DECVP, member of the AFSCAN board and the WSAVA executive board.” “The AFSCAN Awards are a key tool as we work to drive advances in veterinary care for all species in Africa,” said Gabriel Varga, DVM, chairman of the AFSCAN board and regional director, Sub-Saharan Africa, at Zoetis. “Our grateful thanks go to all of our consortium members for their unstinting commitment to the AFSCAN project. It is now in its fourth year and is rapidly transforming the veterinary landscape in Africa, improving the health and welfare of both animals and people.”
