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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor
Zimbabwe is set to benefit from a Euros 9, 3 million (US$10 million) Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (Cohesa) project financed by the European Union which aims to effectively protect the health for people, animals, plants and the shared environment.
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 told the inaugural meeting that Zimbabwe was one of the 11 African countries set to benefit from this project
“Zimbabwe has joined 11 other African countries in eastern and southern Africa that are working to use the ‘One Health’ approach to eradicate the diseases,” she said.
“There is a need to oversee and ensure that all pertinent multidimensional one health sectoral issues are recognised, acknowledged and given due attention in the country.”
The Cohesa project is being implemented with the support of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), CIRAD – a French agricultural research and cooperation organization and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).
Members of Cohesa include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi and Namibia.
Prof Mugabe said the project ‘One Health’ would involve multi – sectoral collaboration of the human, animal and environmental health sectors, among other stakeholders to explore ways to eradicate zoonotic diseases which can spread between animals and people.
At present, she said 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.”
Prof Gift Matope, a UZ veterinary microbiologist and Cohesa team leader said there was a need to build capacity and coordinate efforts to address emerging zoonotic diseases.
“The one health approach is an inclusive approach which can help the country to tackle the problems related to zoonotic diseases,” he said.
“This will enable all experts to better coordinate surveillance and control of these diseases in Zimbabwe.”
The four-year project which was established under the development cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) will focus on zoonotic diseases, water pollution, food safety and anti-microbial resistance in Zimbabwe.
“We need to improve coordination, communication and visibility of Zimbabwe’s one health activities,” said Dr Jaconiah Chirenda, a UZ epidemiologist.
Dr Helene De Nys, a Cirad researcher said this project was important in the protection of human and animal health as well as the environment.
“It’s a very important project for Zimbabwe and it will help to improve food safety, human and animal health as well as the environment,” she said. “All actions under the one health approach should lead improved outcomes on this.”
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