2014.ISDS.Abstracts.Final.pdf


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181

ISDS 2014 Conference Abstracts

Involvement of Local Communities and Households 
in the Implementation of the “One Health” Initiative 
Through the East African Integrated Disease 
Surveillance Network (EAIDSNet)

Stanley S. SONOIYA*

Health, East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania

Objective
The main objectives of the Network are to promote cross-border 

integrated diseases prevention and control through “One Health” 
approaches and joint action focusing on innovative human, 
animal and ecosystem health interventions, to among others:1) 
enhance and strengthen cross-country and cross-institutional 
collaboration through regional coordination of activities and local 
community participation, 2) promote exchange and dissemination 
of appropriate information on Integrated Disease Surveillance 
(IDS) and other disease control activities, 3) harmonize integrated 
disease surveillance systems in the region, 4) strengthen capacity for 
implementing integrated disease surveillance and control activities, 
and 5) ensure continuous exchange of expertise and best practices 
for integrated disease surveillance and control of pandemics and 
epidemics of communicable and vector-borne diseases in the East 
African Community Partner States (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, 
Uganda and Tanzania).

Introduction
The East African Community (EAC) is the regional 

intergovernmental organization of the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, 
Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Republic of 
Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The East African 
Community (www.eac.int) is implementing the “One Health” 
initiative through the “East African Integrated Disease Surveillance 
Network (EAIDSNet)” which is a regional collaborative effort of the 
national Ministries responsible for human and animal health as well 
as the national health research and academic institutions of the five 
(5) EAC Partner States.

Description
Methodology: The “East African Integrated Disease 

Surveillance Network (EAIDSNet)” is implementing the 
“Community-Based Early Warning Integrated Disease 
Surveillance and Response” for the prevention and control of 
various human and animal diseases, parasites and pests, including 
involvement of local communities inter-facing with wildlife under 
the “One Health” initiative in the cross-border areas.

Conclusion: Involvement of local communities and households 
through participatory approaches in “One Health Initiative” leads 
to sustainable “Community-Based Early Warning Integrated 
Disease Surveillance and Response” for the prevention and control 
of various human and animal diseases, parasites and pests

Audience Engagement
Through oral presentations real life situations and experiences 

in the implementation of the East African Regional Transboundary 
Community-Based Integrated One Health Disease Prevention and 
Control Initiative in the Kagera River Basin Ecosytem involving 
the Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of 
Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania

Keywords
One Health; EAIDSNet; Communities; disease; surveillance

Acknowledgments

Local communities and Volunteer Community Health Workers in the 
Kagera River Basin Ecosystem in the East African Transboundary region 
of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania

*Stanley S. SONOIYA

E-mail: stanleysonoiya@gmail.com    

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * (1):e206, 201