Cross-border integrated One Health Surveillance-response System between Kenya and Ethiopia
Project Abstract
Background: Transboundary zoonotic diseases like rabies or Rift Valley Fever require cross-border risk communication between public and animal health sectors under a One Health paradigm. However most African countries restrict the surveillance response systems to national reporting and not across borders. Malteser International (MI) operates a One Health project in Kenya and Ethiopia co-funded by the German government (BMZ). The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), in Partnership with the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) and the Jigjiga University (JJU) operate the Jigjiga Universtiy One Health Initiative. Since 2017 an integrated Environment-Animal-Human Surveillance-Response System iSRS is established in the Adadle worded and shows first positive impacts on the health of humans and animals. In this project we aim to enter into a dialogue between Kenyan and Ethiopian, public and animal health partners to examine the potential of cross-border iSRS and risk communication within the MI One Health project.
Aim of the project: Develop and test the benefits of a cross-border integrated human-animal-environmental iSRS in the Marsabit county of Kenya and the Dire woreda (Borena zone in Oromia region), Ethiopia to establish cross-border risk communication of transboundary zoonotic diseases. Approach: A participatory consensus finding process will examine the possibility of a contextual adaptation to a cross-border context. The innovation is mainly to interlink and communicate between the different systems and the two countries to reduce time to detection and to accelerate cross-border disease control response.
Expected results are 1) Feasibility and operational effectiveness of an iSRS in a cross-border context. 2) Established and effectively operational One Health platform in a cross-border context between Kenya and Ethiopia. 3) Increase cross-border reporting rate and reduce time to detection of potential outbreaks prior to their development and assess its health and financial benefits.
Public health and societal relevance: A successful cross-border small scale iSRS will inform an overall strategy for coordinated disease control between African countries which is necessary for the effective control and elimination of transboundary zoonotic diseases like rabies or Rift Valley Fever in the Horn of Africa. Considering the devastating impacts of zoonoses on poor communities, reducing their burden will improve the people’s health and their socioeconomic status.1.8.2024
