TechnoHealth Surveillance Newsletter Volume 3, Number 11 & 12 December 2018 Editorial address From Editors’ desk TechnoHealth Surveillance Newsletter, Dear reader, SACIDS Foundation for One Health, We are delighted to have kept up with you all through the year 2018 Sokoine University of on our TechnoHealth Surveillance. Thank you for the opportunities Agriculture, P.O. Box 3297, you gave us to share with you our research and training activities to Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania enhance community-based participatory One Health surveillance E-mail: [email protected] using digital technology. Your continuous opinions and feedback Editorial Committee were very much useful to paving our improved performance. We Dr. Calvin Sindato are looking forward to more opportunities to continue sharing ideas Prof. Esron Karimuribo and experiences to improve event-based surveillance in the New Dr. Leonard Mboera Year 2019. June 2016 Prof. Kariuki Njenga Dr. Chubwa Choby The Editorial Committee welcomes you to Volume 3, Number 11 & 12 Mr. Yunus Karsan of the TechnoHealth Surveillance. In this issue, we share the following: Pathway to impact policies and practices in disease prevention and management The second annual meeting on leading transformative change Scaling up of community-based disease surveillance Connecting Organization for Regional Disease Surveillance network members visitation to Tanzania to learn experiences on the use of digital technology in event-based surveillance Strengthening capacity for surveillance and response to Viral Haemorrhagic fevers in Tanzania We look forward to your feedback and comments on this and other issues of TechnoHealth Surveillance. You are kindly requested to share with us stories on health-related events occurring in humans, animals and environment for the sustainability of our newsletter. Happy New Year 2019 and enjoy your reading! Pathway to impact policies and practices in disease prevention and management On November 7, 2018 the Southern During the event, the SACIDS Africa- African Centre for Infectious Disease Centre of Excellence of Infectious Surveillance (currently called SACIDS Diseases of Humans and Animals in East Foundation for One Health) was visited and Southern Africa leader, Prof. Gerald by the Chancellor of the Sokoine Misinzo shared the training and research University of Agriculture (SUA), Former programmes being implemented Tanzania Prime Minister, Lawyer and through SACIDS in different African Retired Judge Hon. Joseph Sinde institutions using Ecohealth and Warioba and the University’s Council participatory approaches. The Chairperson Chief Justice (retired), Hon. programmes include those targeting to Mohamed Chande Othman. The developing core individual competencies delegation was accompanied by the Vice in molecular biology, analytical Chancellor of SUA Prof. Raphael T. epidemiology and social sciences. He Chibunda and the Principal of the college illustrated on the collaboration between of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical human and animal health sectors and Sciences Prof. Donald G. Mpanduji. environment to improve understanding of the complex epidemiology, dynamics and impact of infectious diseases. The training and research programmes are being implemented by enrolment of MSc and PhD apprentices, postdoctoral fellows, and through specific research projects. The areas of focus include viral diseases of food security, bacterial zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance, eco-health, emerging vector-borne diseases, and use of digital technologies in disease surveillance. Prof. Misinzo expanded on the later by highlighting on AfyaData, a mobile digital technology for participatory One Health disease surveillance that is being deployed at community level to enhance early detection, timely reporting and prompt feedback/response. He illustrated on how the event-based surveillance at community level is linked to laboratory analysis and networking to guide the 1 development of the most efficient and prevention and management. cost-effective policies for disease Leading transformative change takes place in Tanzania The SACIDS Africa Centre of Excellence regional development goals. In addition for Infectious Diseases of Humans and to the SACIDS-ACE specialists, the Animals (SACIDS-ACE) organized the meeting was facilitated by leading second annual meeting on Leading international experts from external Transformative Change in Higher Education. This workshop was convened partner institutions of SACIDS, namely, by the Ministry of Education, Science and Dr Tom Kennie, the Director of Ranmore Technology together with the Sokoine Consulting and Professor Jonathan University of Agriculture (SUA). The Grant, Vice-President King’s College, workshop took place at the Muhimbili London. University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Participants were the Heads of from November 8-9, 2018. The theme for Tanzanian universities, national research this year was: Achieving Research institutions and Africa Centres of Excellence, Impact and Innovation at Excellence (ACEs). Team, Research Centre, Institutional and National Levels. The event was attended by the Director of Higher Education at the Ministry of The objective of the meeting was to Education, Science and Technology, who share experiences and insights on is also the National Coordinator for the leading transformative academic change Tanzania based World Bank designated in higher education, especially in the ACEs; the Vice Chancellors of MUHAS, context of the opportunities and SUA, Nelson Mandela African Institution challenges arising from Tanzania based of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), ACEs in the context of national and University of Dar es Salaam, Mzumbe University, Open University of Tanzania, 2 University of Dodoma, Mbeya University Tanzania based ACEs at SUA and NM- of Science and Technology, Mwalimu AIST. Nyerere University of Agriculture and The Ministry, Universities and Research Technology and Moshi Cooperative Institutions agreed to nurture the University. Tanzanian ACEs, which are already being Others were the Chief Executive Officers considered as high performing research of the Commission for Science and units, as catalysts for transforming Technology (COSTECH), National higher education in Tanzania in order to Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania achieve the wellbeing and prosperity of Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Ifakara Tanzania and its communities. Health Institute, and the Leaders of the Professor Jonathan Grant illustrating the role of transformative leadership in higher education to achieve high impact. Scaling up of community-based disease surveillance AfyaData (http://afyadata.sacids.org/) A project inception workshop held at has been deployed using One Health Sokoine University of Agriculture on approach to enhance community-based December 13, 2018 convened disease surveillance in human and animal stakeholders from the sectors populations in Ngorongoro, Morogoro responsible for human and animal Urban, Kilosa, Ulanga and Malinyi disease surveillance in Tanzania to districts of Tanzania. The plan is discuss and agree on the rolling out underway to scale-up its deployment in strategies in the additional sites. in Gairo, Malinyi and Mvomero districts. 3 The workshop attendees were Mr. health events occurring in animals and Seleman Yondu (President’s Office humans. Regional Administration and Local Government), Dr. Gasper Msimbe An overview on the use of digital (Morogoro Regional Veterinary Office), technology (AfyaData) in disease Dr. Samson Tarimo (Morogoro Region surveillance, challenges faced and scaling Medical Office), Dr. Dastan Elinihaki up strategies were shared with (Gairo District Medical Office), Dr. participants. The following were Godbless Luhunga (Gairo District recommended in the scaling up of Veterinary Office), Dr. Amina Ramadhan AfyaData in the additional sites: Issae (Mvomero District Veterinary Community Health Reporters Office), Dr. Benny Mwela (Mvomero should take an active role and District Medical Office), Dr. Julius Masalu assume front-line position in (Malinyi District Medical Office), Dr. detecting and reporting health Ernest Okama (Malinyi District Veterinary events occurring at community Office) and Ms. Stella Kilima (National level Institute for Medical Research). The need to link data collected at Others were Prof. Esron Karimuribo community level to the existing (SUA), Dr. Leonard Mboera (SACIDS national surveillance systems Foundation for One Health), Dr. The need for field deployable Filomena Namuba (SACIDS Foundation diagnostic test for prompt for One Health), Dr. Calvin Sindato confirmation of disease events. (National Institute for Medical The need to establish additional Research), Eng. Eric Beda (SACIDS information/data other than Foundation for One Health), Mr. Mpoki those associated directly with Mwabukusi (SACIDS Foundation for One diseases that district officials may Health), Mr. Renfrid Ngolongolo need from community level (National Institute for Medical The need to provide incentives to Research), Mr Robert Maduka (National Community Health Reporters Institute for Medical Research) and Mr. Awareness should be increased at Yunus Karsan (SACIDS Foundation for all levels on the use of digital One Health). technology in improving disease surveillance The workshop was set to effect by Prof. Advocacy should be made to Amandus Muhairwa, who represented stakeholders at different levels of the Principal of the College of Veterinary