Kakamega County, in collaboration with the ZoNoH Project and Kenya's Zoonoses Unit (ZDU), is conducting a workshop aimed at reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases in the food system.
The workshop, which aims to establish County One Health Units (COHUs) in the counties, was part of the Kenya One Health Strategic Plan for Zoonoses Prevention and Control (2021-2025). ).
The workshop will also strengthen coordination and implementation of the One Health approach at the county level and improve the prevention and management of zoonoses and other priority One Health issues in local food systems. This is also the purpose.
.
Continue reading
Dr. Kelvin Momani, ZoNoH Project Coordinator, said in his remarks that the coronavirus crisis has shown industry stakeholders the importance of not only responding to pandemics, but proactively preventing them.
“This workshop is an important step in integrating the One Health strategy into local governance and public health efforts,” Momani said.
Momani said reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases will require local, national and global efforts that anticipate how climate change will affect future transmission.
According to Momanyi, the expected outcomes of the workshop include the establishment of the Kakamega County One Health Unit (COHU), fostering collaboration among stakeholders in the One Health sector, and strengthening the county in zoonotic disease mitigation. Improving the technical capacity of relevant experts and laying the foundation for future engagement between ZoNoH and Kakamega County.
Dr Khadijah Chepkorir, an epidemiologist at the Zoonoses Unit, said the establishment of the Kakamega COHU was an important move to synchronize efforts within the community and strengthen response capacity.
“Effective collaboration and coordination across the human, animal and environmental health sectors is our most powerful tool against the threat of zoonotic diseases and other public health events,” Khadija said.
Zoonoses are infectious diseases that spread between humans and animals, causing illness and death, and negatively impacting livelihoods.
Disease control functions are divided between the national government and county governments, with the national government mainly involved in policy formulation and the county governments in charge of preventing and responding to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases.
Dr. William Olaka, Kakamega County Public Health Director, echoed Mr. Khadija's sentiments, saying the county's efforts to strengthen zoonotic disease management through a One Health approach are more important than ever.
“In the face of the recent anthrax outbreak in Kakamega (which typically occurs between March and July each year), our efforts to strengthen zoonotic disease management through a One Health approach “It's become even more important than ever,” he said.
Oraka said by strengthening the county's preparedness and response strategies, they aim to protect not only the health of the community, but also the economic stability that supports it.
“These outbreaks are a reminder of the continued need for strong collaboration across the health sector to effectively manage and prevent such threats,” he said.
The ZoNoH project is a collaboration between Wageningen University and research institutes, multidisciplinary consultants, and other actors from the private and public sectors.
This project will strengthen the capacity of county governments to better manage zoonotic diseases, build capacity to operate One Health and Food Systems, and reduce zoonotic diseases. It aims to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases in food systems by leveraging existing data to assess health and socio-economic impacts. In the food system.
