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Sifelani Tsiko
Innovations Editor
Scientists, researchers and other key health actors should foster collaboration and coordination across sectors to advance the one-health implementation that aims to address health threats impacting humans, animals, plants and the environment in the country, Public Health Advisor to the President and Cabinet Dr Agnes Mahomva said yesterday.
She told experts at a workshop capacitating one health in Eastern and Southern Africa (Cohesa) to advance the implementation of the one health initiative in Zimbabwe with the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of essential public health functions and the coordination between them.
“COVID-19 illustrated how breakdowns in the execution of core public health functions could lead to devastating impact on economic and social well-being of our people. The silo mentality has always been a thorn in my flesh,” Dr Mahomva said.
“Drawing from the lessons we have learnt from Covid, it is important to foster linkages to tackle public health threats. We have to work together at multiple levels and link up with the Government to address public health issues.”
Zimbabwe is involved in the Euros 9,3 million (US$10 million) Cohesa project financed by the European Union which aims to effectively protect health for people, animals, plants and the shared environment.
The project is being implemented with the support of the International Livestock Research Institute, CIRAD – a French agricultural research and cooperation organisation and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.
Members of Cohesa include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi and Namibia.
“How can we prepare and not be caught by surprise? What is it that we can do to tackle cholera, polio, substance abuse, antimicrobial resistance and lots of other diseases? What are the issues that we need to alert Cabinet on? The creation of a health advisory office by the President is a window that has been opened for you. You need to use it. How do you link up with the Government? That’s the secret you need to consider,” Dr Mahomva said.
“The Government fully supports the one health initiative. I am glad you are bringing the issue. You have to link it to Government programmes. Research findings and recommendations have to be used for the national benefit.”
Speaking at the same event, Professor Gift Matope, a UZ veterinary microbiologist and Cohesa team leader, said there was a need to explore ways to promote the one-health approach and the institutionalisation of the one health initiative in Zimbabwe.
“We are holding this workshop to look at these issues and share experiences with other countries in the region who are also part of this initiative,” he said.
“Zimbabwe needs to develop a one-health policy to guide the implementation of one-health initiatives in the country. We have to devise a long-term plan for sustainability of the project once donor funding ends.”
Prof Prisca Mugabe, a University of Zimbabwe Deputy Dean of Rangeland Ecology and Animal Production and co-leader of the Zimbabwe one-health advisory committee said, at present, experts on human health, environment and animal health were working in a disjointed manner to address the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, which are transmitted through interactions between animals, humans and their shared environments.
“It’s very clear that there are gaps in the way one health issues are coordinated. We need a coordinated approach on all of our one-health activities. At present the activities are disjointed and we need to speak one language on this,” she said.
Dr Joconiah Chirenda, an international public health specialist said there was a need to speed up the crafting of a one-health policy document and to identify the parent ministry which could spearhead such efforts.
The plan underscores the significance of collective effort, policy guidance, and technical support at multiple levels.
The four-year project which was established under the development cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States will focus on zoonotic diseases, water pollution, food safety and anti-microbial resistance in Zimbabwe.
Globally, there has been an unprecedented emergence of diseases with epidemic and pandemic potential.
These include epidemics such as the West Nile virus, Ebola, Zika, Covid-19 and avian flu among others.
In 2017, a Zimbabwean poultry farm was hit by an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu which led to massive losses for the poultry sector.
Experts say all this shows how the health of people, animals and the shared environment are closely connected.
Online Reporter