Behind every glass of milk drunk at a nomadic herder’s farm lies a two-sided truth. On one hand, centuries of empirical knowledge, resilient breeds, and traditional medicine that avoids antibiotics. On the other, a silent risk: tuberculosis, brucellosis, avian flu… dozens of zoonotic diseases ready to cross the barrier between animals and humans.
Behind every glass of milk consumed at a nomadic herder’s farm lies a two-sided truth. On one hand, centuries of empirical knowledge and resilient animal breeds. On the other, a silent risk: tuberculosis, brucellosis, and dozens of other zoonoses ready to cross the barrier between animals and humans. Sixty percent of human infectious diseases originate from animals. And eighty percent of these zoonoses occur in low-income countries, particularly in Africa, where close contact between humans, livestock, and poultry is extreme. So, should we be afraid of the herd? No. But we must understand that a sick animal can become a health hazard for an entire family.
Behind every glass of milk consumed at a nomadic herder’s farm lies a two-sided truth. On one hand, centuries of empirical knowledge, resilient animal breeds, and traditional veterinary medicine that avoids antibiotics. On the other, a silent risk: tuberculosis, brucellosis, and dozens of other zoonoses ready to cross the barrier
between animal and human. So, should we be afraid of the herd? No. We simply need to understand that the health of the animals is also our own. Welcome to the One Health approach. In the vast arid expanses where sedentary agriculture is impossible, semi-nomadic herders watch over their herds like a treasure. These animals, often local breeds adapted to their grazing grounds, have developed, over generations, a natural resistance to endemic diseases. This resistance significantly reduces the need for medication and therefore the major risk of antibiotic resistance. Improving animal health means optimizing the safety and quality of milk, meat, and eggs. It also means increasing productivity and reducing animal losses, a matter of survival for millions of pastoral families.
Pastoral communities are not helpless in the face of disease. On the contrary, they have acquired in-depth knowledge of animal pathologies. They possess their own classifications, terminology, and therapeutic strategies, passed down orally for generations. This invaluable empirical knowledge, unfortunately, is no longer sufficient today.
Zoonoses, this danger that comes from animals
More than two hundred infectious diseases are transmissible between humans and animals. These are called zoonoses. Tuberculosis, brucellosis, avian influenza, Nipah virus disease, swine flu… Approximately sixty percent of all human infectious diseases originate in animals. They result from intensive contact between humans, animals, and uncontrolled animal products. Most worryingly, eighty percent of these zoonoses occur in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa. Why such a high figure? Because close contact between humans, livestock, pigs, and poultry is extreme there. And because the density of industrial farms is exploding, creating an ideal breeding ground for the emergence of new viruses. Tuberculosis and brucellosis are thus very widespread in pastoral areas, requiring modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that traditional knowledge cannot always provide.
Prevention through hygiene and modernity
To prevent zoonoses, it is essential to respect general hygiene principles, particularly regarding food. Simple handwashing, thorough cooking of meat and milk, and a clear separation between living areas and enclosures can save lives. But this is not enough. Faced with the extreme overcrowding of pig and poultry farms, which is responsible for avian and swine flu outbreaks, solutions must be collective. Strengthening animal health in pastoral areas is key. Fewer animal diseases mean less human infection. Fewer antibiotics used inappropriately means less bacterial
resistance. And above all, it means sustainable food security for millions of families.
One health for a common future
As the One Health approach reminds us, human, animal, and environmental health are inextricably linked. Protecting nomadic herds means protecting our own communities. This requires rapid diagnosis, targeted treatments, training for herders, and official recognition of their ancestral knowledge. Pastoralists are not a problem. They are a solution, provided they are given the modern tools to practice their age-old craft. A healthy herd is a barrier against the invisible. And we must strengthen this barrier together.
ESN
