Zoonotic diseases are infections that are spread between human beings and animals resulting in illness, death, and negatively impacting livelihoods.
Disease control functions are divided between the national and county governments with the national government mainly involved in policy formulation and the county governments tasked with prevention and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks.
ZoNoH Project is a collaboration between Wageningen University and Research, Transdisciplinary Consultants, and other stakeholders in the private and public sector.
The project aims at lowering the risk of zoonoses in the food system by: strengthening the capacity of county governments to better manage zoonosis, capacity building for One Health and Food Systems operationalisation, tapping into existing data for assessment of health and socio-economic impacts of zoonoses in food systems.
Consequently, the ZoNoH project, in collaboration with the Government of Kenya’s Zoonotic Disease Unit (ZDU) and the County Government of Kakamega, is conducting a workshop aimed at establishing a County One Health Unit (COHU) in Kakamega County.
This initiative aligns with the Kenya One Health Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Disease (2021-2025), enhancing coordination and implementation of the One Health approach at the county level to improve prevention and management of zoonotic diseases and other priority One Health issues within the local food system.
The expected outcomes from the workshop are: establishment of the Kakamega County One Health Unit (COHU), fostering collaboration among stakeholders in the One Health sector in Kakamega, enhancing the technical capabilities of the relevant county professionals in mitigation of zoonotic diseases, and laying of a foundation for future engagement between ZoNoH and Kakamega County.
“Effective collaboration and coordination across human, animal and environmental health sectors is our most powerful tool against the threat of zoonotic diseases and other public health events. Establishing the Kakamega COHU is a critical move toward synchronizing our efforts and enhancing our response capabilities within the community,” said Dr. Khadija Chepkorir, Epidemiologist, Zoonotic Disease Unit.
On his part, William Olaka, Director Public Health, Kakamega County said they have enhanced preparedness and response strategies, which aim to safeguard not only the health of our community but also the economic stability that supports it.
“These outbreaks remind us of the ongoing need for robust collaboration across health sectors to effectively manage and prevent such threats,” he said.
“As we confront the recent anthrax outbreaks in Kakamega and which normally occur between March and July every year, our commitment to strengthening zoonotic disease management through the One Health approach is more crucial than ever,” he added.
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi, Coordinator, ZoNoH Project: “The COVID-19 crisis has shown us the importance of not just responding to pandemics but actively preventing them. This workshop is a crucial step towards integrating One Health strategies into local governance and public health initiatives.”
