REPUBLIC OF CONGO One Health in action (2009-2020) Discovering unknown viral disease threats surrounding people in their daily lives REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
In the Republic of Congo, the the Sangha Department, and in the behavioral investigations to explore PREDICT project began in 2009 Sibiti district and Zanaga districts the risks of viral spillover and spread with the general aim of reducing within the Lékoumou Department. in the animal value chain. Our team pandemic risk and promoting Fieldwork was conducted at high- performed in-depth, ethnographic global health. Our objectives were risk human-animal interfaces such as interviews and focus groups to generate an evidence base artisanal gold mining, logging, road with more than 100 individuals, that informs strategic investments construction sites, and areas with targeting Brazzaville bushmeat in surveillance, detection, and ecotourism near Odzala-Kokoua market vendors and surrounding response to zoonotic disease National Park. As we worked restaurants. By integrating this socio- threats and to strengthen capacity to strengthen disease detection anthropological approach with the of the health system to prevent capacity in RoC, samples safely evidence from surveillance and virus and detect emerging infectious collected from wildlife were sent to findings our team helped raised diseases. Public health capacity in the PREDICT project partner lab at awareness of the risk of zoonotic the Republic of Congo (RoC) faces the Institut National de Recherche diseases in people’s daily activities. critical challenges, including a low Biomédicale/National Institute for The PREDICT project raised density of health personnel and Biomedical Research (INRB) in awareness of the importance of limited laboratory infrastructure. Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of monitoring wildlife (rodents and Human-wildlife contact interfaces Congo) where they were tested for bats), brought together various are prevalent in many parts of priority zoonotic diseases and other stakeholders involved in wildlife the country, and the country has emerging viral threats. health, and fostered the creation experienced outbreaks of zoonotic Over 10 years, our team detected of a One Health inter-ministerial diseases, including an outbreak of 70 unique viruses (56 new viruses group dedicated to examining monkeypox in 2017. However, and 13 known viruses) in samples emerging disease threats and RoC has recently made significant collected from bats, non-human developing contingency plans in progress in zoonotic disease primates, and rodents. Our case of an emergency outbreak. We prevention and preparedness, discoveries highlight the utility of the collaborated with the Government using a One Health approach to PREDICT project’s viral detection of RoC to build wildlife surveillance promote improvements in public strategy and underscore the need capacity and strengthened health capacity that benefit multiple for proactive surveillance when multisectoral communications, sectors. confronting viral threats at the sharing knowledge and informing The PREDICT project put One human-wildlife interface. surveillance and risk reduction Health in action and conducted strategies relevant for both the Another major focus in RoC from wildlife surveillance in Ouesso within animal and public health sectors. 2014 onwards were social and
LOCAL PARTNERS • Laboratoire National de Santé Publique • Laboratoire de Diagnostique Vétérinqire de Brazzaville