Esther Omosa is a public health nutrition specialist with BSc Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics and Master of Public Health and Epidemiology from Kenyatta University, Kenya. She is currently senior nutrition specialist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) working with USAID funded Feed the Future Program- Accelerated Value Chain Development (AVCD) where she coordinates nutrition activities of the program across ILRI, and other 2 Cconsultative Group of International Agricultural Research Centres with the aim of improving economic growth, resilience and food security and nutrition of smallholder farmers, especially women and children in Kenya. Esther has worked in humanitarian and development settings supporting livelihood, social protection and food security programes. She is passionate about strengthening the understanding of the links between livestock and human nutrition and well being.
Under HORN project she is coordinating a study entitled ‘Value chain mapping of dairy and vegetable farming practices in Laikipia, Kenya: Implications on health and nutritional outcomes in children under 5 years. This study aims to assess the practices along the tomato and dairy value chain, potential chemical and microbial contamination and their relationship with the health and nutrition of children under five years old. The findings of the study will create awareness on possible risk factors in production and post-harvest handling that lead to contamination of dairy and tomato along the value chain and, inform policy on mitigation measures.