Accra, Ghana, March 29, 2018//-Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC), the leading national public health institute of the United States (US) has estimated that each year zoonotic diseases (diseases shared between humans and animals) cause 2.5 billion cases of sicknesses, resulting in 2.7 million deaths worldwide.
Out of the 2.7 million deaths, Africa and Asia contribute the highest.
In bid to reduce the zoonotic disease and its deaths scourge, a week-long workshop was being organized in Accra, Ghana by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the CDC, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Speaking at the workshop, a Medical Epidemiologist at the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases of the CDC, Dr Kristina M. Angelo, said: “The specific goal of this workshop is to use a multi-sectoral, One Health approach to prioritize endemic and emerging zoonotic diseases that is of great concern in Ghana which needs to be jointly addressed by ministries responsible for human, animal, and environmental health” in Ghana.
Dr Angelo who was one of the facilitators of the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) Workshop was confident to say that with the current level of commitment and passion exhibited by the stakeholders, zoonotic diseases could be reduced soon.
Why chosen Ghana
Ghana was chosen for the workshop due the prevalence of the zoonetic diseases in the West African country.
“We want to use a multisectoral, One Health approach to prioritise endemic and emerging zoonotic diseases of greatest national concern in Ghana. So, we are working jointly with institutions responsible for human, animal and the environment using the One Health approach to address the diseases in Ghana and parts of the world”, she explained.
In Ghana, there are 31 zoonotic diseases. These include-Anthrax, rabies, Q fever, typhus zoonotic tuberculosis, yellow fever, hepatitis E, and brucellosis.
What is One Health
Dr Angelo further explained that One Health recognizes that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment.
The goal of One Health is to encourage the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines-working locally, nationally, and globally-to achieve the best health for people, animals, and the environment, she added.
A One Health approach is important because 6 out of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals, according to CDC.
The CDC tool uses the One Health approach in the ranking and prioritisation of zoonoses (diseases shared between humans and animals).
To this end, participants of the workshop including academia, the research institutions, NGOs, Veterinary Council of Ghana and the Dental and Medical Council of Ghana were asked to rank and prioritise at least five zoonotic diseases in the country.
In a speech, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto asked the participants to give all the needed attention to the ranking and prioritisation process so that at the end, the zoonoses of greatest concern would be ranked and prioritised to enable the government to work together with FAO, CDC and others to prevent and control them in Ghana.
“I am reliably informed that other African countries that have used the CDC tool to rank and prioritise their zoonoses include Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, DR Congo and Rwanda.
Now, it is time for Ghana and I am happy, we are here to conduct the ranking and prioritisation of the zoonoses in the country, which will give us the five top most zoonoses in the country”, he stated in his opening address read for him.
Criteria for ranking and prioritising zoonotic diseases
The criteria for ranking and prioritising the five zoonotic diseases in Ghana are: pandemic, epidemic potential; eco, environment, social impact; ability to prevent and control; and existing collaboration.
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report
Email: mk68008@gmail.com
