By Gad Masereka
Kampala: As Uganda is still facing challenge of zoonotic diseases in and around Uganda, the government throught the office of the prime minister has committed to use the One-Health approach of collectively addressing animal, human and environment challenges that is being faced by Uganda.
While opening the 3rd One Health Central and Eastern Africa (OHCEA) international one health conference in Kampala, the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda said Uganda has stepped ahead of addressing health problems using traditional skills which come with complex interface of animals, humans and environment.
He added that “This therefore needs a new approach and training of a new workforce that is ready to work across disciplines and sector lines… I am assuring you of government determination to building one health capacity.”
Zoonotic diseases such as Rabies and Ebola are the most dangerous diseases that can spread between animals and humans that has claimed lives of people in Uganda. According to WHO, it is thought that Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope or porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
The consumption of bush meat is a common practice in the districts of Bundibugyo and Kasese which have been affected with the heamorrhagic fever.
Her Excellency Deborah Ruth Malac, the United States Ambassador to Uganda, said the approach is a great global health security strategy, that the US government supports to protect detect and respond to infectious disease before they could become epidemic and affect all the population
“It’s one of the most promising tools in this effort…the US government reignites our continued commitment to support Uganda and other governments represented here in our global effort to fight disease outbreak,” Ms Malac stated at the same event.
Uganda launched the One Health strategic plan 2018/2021 in February last year in which the country agreed to adopt the approach and address three priority areas; zoonotic diseases, microbial resistance and also bio security.
The approach is also recognized by WHO which indicates that many of the same microbes infect animals and humans, as they share the eco-systems they live in.
Efforts by just one sector cannot prevent or eliminate the problem, for instance, rabies in humans is effectively prevented only by targeting the animal source of the virus, according to WHO.
