Fighting Zoonoses In Afghanistan, Bangladesh And Nepal Resham ACHARYA
1. Fighting Zoonoses in Afghanistan, Bangladesh
and Nepal: Concept and Progress of the One
Health Asia Programme
Resham Prasad Acharya, B. V. Sc & AH, M. Sc (Livestock Chains)
Team Leader, Relief International
E-mail: Resham.Acharya@ri.org
3. Introduction/Background
Relief International in brief
Currently in 25 countries, Relief International (RI) is a humanitarian, non-
profit, non-sectarian organization providing emergency relief,
rehabilitation, and development assistance worldwide.
RI works in all three phases: relief, recovery, and development. Its four
“focus sectors” for 2015-2020 are: (1) education, (2) health (including
One Health), (3) water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and (4)
economic opportunity
Our previous work in One Health
Livestock for life: Zoonoses control program in Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Yeman, Somalia and Libya
Bio-risk management in Pakistan
4. Introduction/Background……
RI Current Programme: One Health Asia Programme (OHAP)
Implementing 3 years’ project (2014-2016) funded by EU
The project was designed to tackle the spread of infectious diseases at the
interface between animals, humans and their various environments.
Project Locations:
Chitwan, Rupandehi & Banke districts in Nepal; Sirajganj, Pabna and
Lalmonirhat districts in Bangladesh and Mohmand Dara, Goshta and Nurgal
districts in Afghanistan
Implementation Arrangement:
Afghanistan- Relief International & BARAN (partner)
Bangladesh-Relief International
Nepal- ANSAB (affiliate)
5. Project Objectives
Overall Objective : To contribute effectively to the reduction of zoonoses
and alleviate their impact on vulnerable communities in Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, and Nepal
Specific Objectives:
1. Create awareness and behaviour change.
2. Develop prevention and response capacity of communities, government
departments and academia.
3. Integrate zoonoses surveillance within existing government regulations.
6. Activities & Progress
1. Awareness Raising : The main awareness raising activities consists of bimonthly meetings/training
sessions for the members of project support committees, school health clubs and youth clubs; mass
awareness and education program (news articles, newsletters, audio extension messages, TV talk
shows); experience sharing/consultative zoonoses workshops (national/provincial/regional level);
organizing seminar among the graduates students to encourage them on zoonoses research.
2. Capacity Building : The main capacity building activities includes development of Community Health
Worker (CHW) training curriculum, manual and its implementation; basic health care kits for CHWs;
training to municipality officials, butchers, meat sellers, farmers and traders on zoonoses; cold chain
capacity building (prophylactics, treatment and samples); master training for school teachers; working
with the University to establish zoonoses research centres, students’ research grants and inclusion of
zoonoses curriculum in the University course.
3. Collaboration, integration and institutionalization: This includes the formation of project support
committees (PSCs), School Health Clubs (SHCs) and Youth Clubs (YCs) at the communities; formation of
district, provincial (A)/divisional (B)/regional (N) level zoonoses control committee/association and
formation of national level zoonoses control committee as well as Asia regional zoonoses network.
7. Activities & Progress…..
90 Project Support Committees
(PSCs), 90 Youth Clubs (YCs) and 90
School Health Clubs (SHCs) were
formed (members=15 to 25, total
members=5203, 36% F)
1206 events of meetings/training
sessions were organized and the
members were trained on basic
aspects of zoonoses and One Health.
Different aspects of one health and
zoonoses including Cycticercosis,
Hydatidosis, Swine flu,
Toxoplasmosis, Rabies, Anthrax,
Tetanus, Leishmaniasis, Avian
Influenaza, Crimean Congo
Heamorrhagic Fever, Tuberculosis,
Anthrax, Nipah were discussed.
8. Activities & Progress…..
233 teachers were trained as Master
trainers for zoonoses and One Health
85000 brochures/leaflets on project
information were printed and
distributed
186506 IEC materials including 147000
pamphlets (Nepal) on swine flu were
printed and distributed
13 radio extension messages on one
health and zoonoses were broadcasted
through FM radio/provincial radio
station
9. Activities & Progress…..
2 Provincial level and one national level zoonoses consultative
workshops organized in AFG and an One Health meeting in Nepal
Community Health Workers (One Health) manuals and curricula
were developed- 1 common, 3 country specific; 270 CHWs were
trained (185 M, 85 F)
Major contents of the curricula: Overview of One Health approach,
overview of important animal and human diseases, country specific
zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, hydatidosis, cysticercosis,
toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, anthrax,
plague, rabies, avian influenza, tetanus, swine influenza, CCHF and
other emerging/re-emerging zoonotic diseases, surveillance &
reporting
8 District level, 2 provincial level and one national level (in AFG)
Zoonoses Control Committees (ZCC) were formed & meetings were
organized
3 MoUs between RI and the Universities in AFG, BGD and Nepal
signed. In Nepal, 9 M. Sc. Students have started research (thesis) on
zoonoses
10. Challenges
War/conflict, political instability, security situation, extreme poverty
Increasing population, people live exceptionally close to animals
Commitment and ownership of the government for this initiative (as it is of NGO led)
Conclusions
The community engagement part and proposed institutional structures linking the
ground realities to the national level Zoonoses Control Committees are the stepping
stones to strengthen the “One Health Approach” further.
Full participation of the Afghan, Bangladeshi and Nepalese governments is a priority
to ensure ownership and sustainability of the project