Caroline Mburu is a final year PhD student in Anthropology at the University of Nairobi, Kenya and an Afrique One- ASPIRE fellow. Her work centers on the cultural drivers for zoonotic diseases among pastoralists and agro pastoralists in East Africa, particularly looking into their knowledge, risk perceptions and health seeking behavior. Using anthropological methods, her studies have demonstrated that attitudes and behavioral practices risking transmission are rooted in tradition, cultural values and practical considerations. Proper understanding of lay risk perceptions and behavior is crucial when developing sensitization messages for communities that can lead to long term behavior change.