17 May 2010: The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), has received a $4.4 million award for research to build a climate model that can predict outbreaks of infectious disease in Africa.

The ILRI will work with 11 partners and researchers to integrate data from climate modeling and disease forecasting systems with the goal of predicting the likelihood of epidemics six months in advance of an outbreak. It aims to give decision makers adequate time to deploy intervention mechanisms to stop the large-scale spread of disease. The research is being undertaken in Ghana, Malawi and Senegal. [ILRI Press Release]