Dr. Pauline Gitonga

Vice Secretary | Animal Health & One Health Systems Specialist

Advancing resilient livestock systems through prevention-focused One Health approaches across Africa’s arid and semi-arid regions.

Dr. Pauline Gitonga is a veterinarian and One Health specialist with over 15 years of experience strengthening animal and public health systems across East and Southern Africa, particularly in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).

Her work focuses on biosafety, biosecurity, zoonotic disease surveillance, and emergency livestock health, with a strong emphasis on translating policy into practical, community-level interventions.

She is a certified Trainer of Trainers in the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS), a globally recognised framework for livestock interventions in emergency settings, and has authored over 15 technical manuals and training curricula supporting scalable, field-based solutions.

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Role at OHAAN

As Vice Secretary and Animal Health Specialist, Dr. Gitonga provides leadership for OHAAN’s animal health track, advancing prevention-focused approaches to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in livestock systems.

Her work supports the integration of animal health into One Health AMR strategies, strengthening coordination between human, animal, and environmental health sectors.

She focuses on reducing reliance on antimicrobials through improved biosecurity, vaccination, and sustainable livestock management practices across smallholder and pastoral systems.

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Technical Expertise & Implementation

• Biosafety and biosecurity in animal health systems
• Zoonotic disease surveillance and One Health coordination
• Emergency livestock health and resilience in ASAL settings
• Community-based and participatory animal health approaches

She has extensive experience delivering training and building capacity among veterinarians, para-veterinarians, and livestock extension workers across diverse settings.

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Programme Impact

• Strengthened prevention-first approaches to livestock health
• Reduced reliance on antimicrobials through improved husbandry and vaccination
• Enhanced community engagement and ownership of animal health interventions
• Improved integration of animal health into national and regional AMR efforts

Her work supports more balanced and effective One Health responses by strengthening the role of animal health systems in AMR prevention.

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Innovation & Systems Strengthening

• Advancing cost-effective alternatives to treatment-driven models
• Promoting community-based and sentinel surveillance approaches
• Integrating AMR awareness into disease control and extension platforms
• Supporting behaviour change through culturally relevant interventions

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Policy & One Health Contribution

Dr. Gitonga contributes to the implementation of national and regional AMR strategies, including Kenya’s National Action Plan on AMR, by strengthening operationalisation of antimicrobial stewardship in animal health systems.

• Integration of animal health into One Health AMR coordination platforms
• Strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration and joint surveillance
• Informing policy through field-based implementation evidence
• Advancing veterinary antimicrobial use regulation and systems reform