Madagascar Health and Environmental Research

What Madagascar Health and Environmental Research does

Madagascar Health and Environmental Research (MAHERY) is a US-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit research organization founded in 2004 by Dr. Christopher Golden to investigate the human health consequences of environmental change in Madagascar. The organization's work is concentrated in rural Malagasy communities adjacent to protected areas, notably Makira Natural Park and the Masoala forests, where it partners with local community health workers, traditional healers and research assistants on long-term field studies. Primary programmatic areas include the human-health impacts of bushmeat hunting and wildlife declines, fisheries management and food security, village poultry health, traditional medicine use, pica and geophagy, healthcare access barriers, zoonotic disease transmission and infectious disease ecology.

MAHERY's core technical and programmatic assets are (i) a thermostable live Newcastle disease vaccine delivered as an eye-drop formulation for village poultry, co-developed with the Wildlife Health Network and produced by Madagascar's national veterinary institute IMVAVET, designed to function without cold-chain infrastructure and administered by trained non-specialists; (ii) a Disease Surveillance Platform built on the Dharma Platform that cross-references household water-source usage with disease incidence to identify contamination pathways; and (iii) a portfolio of documentary media, headlined by "On Our Shoulders," used to disseminate findings and raise donor visibility. The organization also runs the Harvard Planetary Health Undergraduate Scholars program with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Planetary Health Alliance, providing a recurring student-research pipeline.

The business model is that of a charitable non-profit: revenue is sourced from tax-deductible individual donations (PayPal-linked, EIN#82-1491761) and a diversified portfolio of foundation and government grants, with no commercial product or pricing structure. Disclosed funders and partners include the National Geographic Society, National Science Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome Trust, DEFRA (UK), Margot Marsh Biodiversity Fund, Mohamed bin Zayed Conservation Fund, Darwin Initiative, Wildlife Conservation Society-Madagascar, University of Sydney, Kyeema Foundation, San Francisco Zoo, St. Louis Zoo WildCare Institute, Rasmussen Family Foundation, Norvig Family Foundation, MedAir and Dharma Platform. Operations are field-led from Madagascar (Maroantsetra, Antaravato, Marofototra, Vinanibe) with no US field office disclosed.

Name

Madagascar Health and Environmental Research

Legal name

Madagascar Health and Environmental Research

Website

https://mahery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Madagascar Health and Environmental Research (MAHERY) is a US-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2004 by Dr. Christopher Golden that conducts planetary health research and field interventions in Madagascar, addressing environmental change impacts on rural communities through poultry vaccination, disease surveillance, fisheries management, and bushmeat-hunting research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Planetary Health Research

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Public Health & One Health Programs (HLAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vaccine Programs & Tendering (Government/NGO, Eradication Campaigns) (HLAMAKAO), Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM), Veterinary Public Health, Biosecurity & Disease Control Services (AFAEANAI), Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) for Global Health (BPADAIAO), One Health & Zoonotic Disease Partnerships (Human–Animal–Environment) (HLAJAOAJ)

Keywords

• Planetary health research
• Environmental health research
• Wildlife conservation research
• Community health interventions
• Food security research

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting research, education, and training programs. EIN#82-1491761 for US tax purposes.
2. Foundation and NGO Grants: Funding from National Geographic Society, National Science Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome Trust, DEFRA UK, Margot Marsh Biodiversity Fund, Mohamed bin Zayed Conservation Fund, and other conservation and health organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MAHERY conducts interdisciplinary planetary health research examining how environmental change affects human health in Madagascar, focusing on bushmeat hunting impacts on nutrition, fisheries management, traditional medicine use, zoonotic disease transmission, and food security. The organization implements community-based interventions including a Newcastle disease poultry vaccination program and a disease surveillance platform, while training local researchers and Harvard-affiliated students in planetary health fieldwork.

Product overview

Madagascar Health and Environmental Research (MAHERY) is a planetary health research organization that examines human health impacts of environmental change. The organization operates multiple interconnected research programs focused on bushmeat hunting, village poultry health, wildlife consumption and nutrition, natural resources and human health, fisheries management, and disease surveillance. MAHERY conducts applied research through video documentaries like 'On Our Shoulders,' disease surveillance platforms, and Newcastle disease vaccination programs to address environmental health challenges in Madagascar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Disease Surveillance Platform
• Village Poultry Health Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% child growth stunting in Antaravato community highlights severity of malnutrition problem being addressed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wildlife Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Drs. Graham Crawford and Susan Ostapak, this partnership focuses on poultry vaccination programs in Makira and Masoala forests, developing thermostable Newcastle disease vaccine delivery.
• IMVAVET (Madagascar National Institute for Veterinarians and Vaccinations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment veterinary institute producing innovative thermostable live Newcastle disease vaccine for poultry, enabling vaccine distribution without cold chain requirements.
• Wildlife Conservation Society-MadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative wildlife conservation research partner working on lemur protection and bushmeat alternative programs.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Golden's academic institution; provides research infrastructure, student training, and collaborative research support for planetary health initiatives.
• Planetary Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides logistical support for the Harvard Planetary Health Undergraduate Scholars program and promotes planetary health education globally.
• University of SydneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting poultry vaccine research and development.
• Kyeema FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit partner contributing to poultry vaccination program development.
• MedAirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization that installed deep wells in Antaravato community providing clean drinking water.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Health Poverty Action: International NGO focused on health systems, disease control, and community health in low-income countries with some Madagascar operations. Comparable small-NGO scale and grant-funded model addressing similar health-environment intersections.
• Kyeema Foundation: Existing MAHERY partner organization focused on poultry vaccination programs in low-income countries. Direct collaboration partner on the Newcastle disease vaccine program and shares technical methodology in village poultry health.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Large global conservation organization working across biodiversity hotspots including Madagascar. Operates at much greater scale than MAHERY with overlapping focus on community-based conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
• World Wildlife Fund: Largest global conservation organization with active Madagascar program and broader planetary health agenda. Represents the type of scaled institutional incumbent MAHERY could either partner with or compete against for major grants.
• The Jane Goodall Institute: Global wildlife and environment organization combining primate conservation with community health and livelihoods programs. Comparable integrated human-animal-environment methodology, though at substantially larger scale than MAHERY.

Direct peers

• Health In Harmony: Operates planetary health models linking rainforest conservation, community health, and alternative livelihoods in Borneo — directly comparable methodology to MAHERY's integrated approach in Madagascar. Both organizations connect human health outcomes to forest conservation.
• SEED Madagascar: UK-based NGO operating community health, environment, and education programs in southeast Madagascar. Comparable mission scope, geography, and operational model to MAHERY with similar small-NGO grant funding patterns.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Operates WCS-Madagascar, a direct collaboration partner of MAHERY working on lemur conservation and bushmeat alternatives in Makira and Masoala. Both organizations combine wildlife conservation with community health interventions in overlapping Malagasy geographies.
• Centre Valbio (St. Louis Zoo): Long-term primate research and conservation field station in Ranomafana, Madagascar, supported by St. Louis Zoo WildCare Institute (a MAHERY funder). Both organizations conduct longitudinal wildlife and ecosystem health research in Madagascar with similar funder networks.
• Blue Ventures: Marine conservation organization working in coastal Madagascar on fisheries management and community health — overlapping significantly with MAHERY's fisheries management and food security research in Marofototra and similar coastal communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mahery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Madagascar Health and Environmental Research