Where, why and how
The project takes place in West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo), East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) and Southern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe).
It aims to enhance or build sustainable capacity in the region for early detection, reporting and surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
The project uses risk-based approaches (risk mapping, value chain analysis and risk assessment) to create tools and train decision-makers in their use, enabling targeting of scarce resources at areas of greatest risk from the introduction and impacts of HPAI.
Project objectives
- Improve national, sub-regional and regional capacity for evidence-based risk assessment approaches to enable rapid response for HPAI.
- improve national surveillance and reporting capacity.
- Increase sub-regional cooperation and coordination, with regional support to undertake HPAI investigations, report disease and manage HPAI relevant information.
Summary of activities
The project objectives will be addressed through a series of activities for each project location. While the project activities have been tailored to each location, they contain a number of common elements as follows:
- Rapidly assess existing HPAI surveillance systems
- Develop, disseminate and train in the use of effective tools for targeting HPAI surveillance resources
- Train in HPAI surveillance techniques, tools and approaches, including outbreak reporting and data analysis
- Develop linkages with sub-regional and regional surveillance, disease investigation and learning networks
Expected outputs
- HPAI surveillance systems assessed and training needs identified
- Effective evidence-based tools for targeting HPAI surveillance resources based on risk developed
- HPAI surveillance practitioners trained in surveillance techniques, tools and approaches
- Knowledge base with regard to HPAI expanded through regional and sub-regional linkages
Project duration
June 2008 to September 2009
Into the future
The focus of the project is on early detection, reporting and surveillance for HPAI. However, the skills and experiences in risk-based approaches and effective surveillance methods gained by animal health professionals and other partners will be directly applicable to surveillance for other emerging infectious diseases, and for animal disease surveillance in general. This will strengthen national and regional animal disease surveillance systems in the longer term.
Project implementation and partners
ILRI is leading the project which is being implemented in collaboration with the following main partners:
Regional
Sub-regional
National
- Government veterinary services
- Academic, community, business and other organizations
For more information about this project, please contact
Saskia Hendrickx
Veterinary Epidemiologist
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