Workshop: One Health Research Tools for preparedness and response to zoonotic diseases outbreaks
Outbreaks that occur at the animal-human- environment interface pose a significant threat to public health, social security, and the economy. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reported that 60% of the existing human infections are zoonotic and 75% of human emerging diseases are of animal origin. In addition, 3 out 5 new human diseases detected annually are of animal origin, most of these outbreaks are triggered by favorable environments.
In order to guide the prevention, control and elimination of priority zoonotic disease, the Africa CDC developed a One Health Framework with the following goals:
- Strengthen multisectoral, One Health coordination and collaboration
- Develop and strengthen surveillance system and data-sharing mechanisms with relevant stakeholders
- Strengthen laboratory systems and networks to ensure early detection, surveillance, and response
- Ensure effective and coordinated public health emergency preparedness and response using a One Health approach
- Strengthen and support workforce development to prevent and control priority zoonotic diseases
Following the Africa CDC’s One Health Framework goals, Africa CDC, Pandora-net, Chatham House, UCL and The Global Health Network have come together with the following two-day training workshop.
The event will focus on research skills needed for outbreak rapid response teams to strengthen their ability to prepare and respond efficiently to zoonotic diseases outbreaks using the “One Health” approach. Notably, the workshop will emphasize the power of combining data from animal, human and environmental sectors to help design epidemiologic studies that can guide evidence-based interventions against zoonotic diseases outbreaks. The event will also highlight the opportunity for predicting zoonotic diseases outbreaks through One Health Early Warning and Response System. This is to create lead time to inform the surveillance system and allow for a successful preparedness and response strategy against such outbreaks.
The main objectives of this workshop are to:
- Present opportunities and challenges of collecting, aggregating, and sharing zoonotic diseases’ data across animal, human and environmental sectors as a base for integrated One Health research.
- Emphasize relevant epidemiologic study designs that can provide evidence for zoonotic outbreaks preparation and response interventions.
- Advocate for One Health Early Warning and Response System that can provide lead time for possible adverse conditions which could trigger occurrence of zoonotic diseases outbreaks.
- Elaborate syndromic surveillance and event-based surveillance as tools to strengthen the conventional surveillance for zoonoses in Africa.
- Encourage participants to share knowledge, competences, and skills that they will gain during the workshop with their colleagues in different African countries.
