elkana

A seasoned Veterinary, Public, and One Health professional with 14 years’ experience in Utility of Livestock for Livelihood (Nutrition & Socioeconomics); Sustainable Agricultural Approaches for Food Security; Global Health Security Packages-Zoonotic (Emerging, Re-emerging, and Endemic) and Non-zoonotic disease surveillance, Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Responses and Community Based Early Warnings, AMR/IPC/WASH and Environmental Pollution, Climate Change, Genomic Surveillance, Risk Communication and Community Engagement/Social and Behavior Change Campaigns, Vaccine Introduction and Access; Tertiary Institutions Teaching; Capacity Building and Mentorship; Sustainable investments and Human Centered Designs; Clinical Research procedures and Pharmacovigilance; Stakeholder and Consortium Management; Monitoring and Evaluation; Administration and Management.

Passionate to support trainings in Veterinary Medicine and integrate knowledge acquired in various themes to integrate emerging issues. I have long mixed practise experiences in small scale sizes.

I currently work as a Research and Implementation Consultant with Research World on Research and Implementation on Public Health, and Agriculture. I have most recently worked as an Independent Study Monitor with Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM),Monitoring to verify that the welfare of animal subjects is protected and that the conduct of the trial followed the approved protocol as well as a Temporary Costing Data Coordinator/Consultant for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) under PATH Centre for Vaccine Introduction and Access, and as a Senior Technical Advisor, Epidemic Preparedness and Response program and Centre for Vaccine Introduction and Access providing technical AMR and infectious disease expertise that strengthened health systems to global and national teams. Previously worked with Global Implementation Solutions (GIS) as a National Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer, responsible for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, Building National and Sub-National One Health Structures under Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway (PVS), Points of Entries and IHR activities. Earlier on served as KEMRI’s Section Head and One Health Research Officer in western Kenya, responsible for linking Human, Animal and Ecosystem health research studies/programs as well as a Clinical Research assistant trainee at the ACE Research and taught Diploma and Undergraduate students in three public universities.

I hold a PhD in Applied Microbiology (Virology Option) from the University of Nairobi, MSc in Animal/Human/Ecosystem Health from the University of Pretoria, and a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Nairobi.

I have completed additional short trainings provided by CDC, WSU, WHO, WOHA, FAO, ICIPE, ILRI, FHI 360, UON, KEMRI, CITI, USAID, Alison, and GSI. I’m fluent in both English and Swahili.

Registered Veterinary Surgeon with Kenya Veterinary Board, a member of Kenya Veterinary Association Member, and served as Vice-chairman and Treasurer for Nyanza Branch. Been a member of KEMRI Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) and KEMRI Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC).