SEBI Evidence Synthesis

Themes
Environment Animal Health Economy

Published literature on livestock health in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) is sometimes considered disparate, of poor quality or difficult to summarize. This poses a challenge for evidence-based decision making for the livestock sector.

Supporting Evidence Based Interventions (SEBI mobilises and applies data and evidence to help the livestock community make better investments that improve livelihoods for smallholders in low and middle-income countries. 

SEBI is awarded to The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at The University of Edinburgh.

Systematic evidence maps on livestock disease

Systematic mapping reviews provide a broad overview of a research area and enable the identification of research gaps to guide further primary research or subsets of evidence suitable for systematic reviews. This methodology has been used to inform decision-making in social and environmental sciences. 

SEBI brings together hard-to-find evidence on livestock diseases, using technical knowledge of data, veterinary expertise, and innovative methodology for systematic maps. The findings, initially from sub-Saharan Africa, are presented using an interactive online visualization tool, showing which diseases are prevalent, and where. This accessible, intuitive, and easy-to-use tool can assist decision makers and investors to better target interventions, and can help researchers to identify areas for further investigation.

Related resources

Systematic map of research evidence: livestock disease frequency and disease-associated mortality in Ethiopia

Livestock Fact Check

SEBI co-lead the the Livestock Fact Check working group of the LD4D community. This project digs into the evidence behind popular facts about livestock, to discover whether those facts are accurate and up to date. The objective of this effort is to help ensure that facts relevant to the livestock sector are robust, up-to- date and appropriately interpreted, resulting in better-informed discussions around these topics. To date, eight facts have been investigated and launched in a way that stimulates discussion on these issues. All factsheets are reviewed by members of the LD4D community. A plan will also be developed to identify and review more key facts.

Related resources