amount of attention as others: “The impact of NZDs in developing countries is severe, but they lie far down the disease control agenda. Some of them, such as anthrax and rabies, are among the oldest diseases known to mankind and tools have long been available for their prevention and control.” A chronic lack of information on treatment


diagnosis, and prevention of


NZDs has led to their continued proliferation. For those working closely with livestock and the surrounding communities, levels of health are connected with the health of the animals and the environment. During case studies done in collaboration with affected communities, Professor Mukaratirwa and his team found that little knowledge or concern existed about these facts. “We found it amazing that nobody had emphasised to these people the damage that the most prevalent zoonotic diseases were causing them,” he says.


Advocacy materials for NZDs The tenet providing the foundation for the ADVANZ consortium’s methods is that to win the battle against NZDs, communities must be sensitised to understand the need for behavioural changes in the population at risk. Providing locally adapted information was thus a major activity of the project, helping to generate awareness and promote the adoption of good practices. By providing evidence-based knowledge of the cost-effectiveness of controlling these diseases, it also looked at educating and informing relevant professions such as


veterinarians, public health workers and agricultural workers. A major output of ADVANZ has been the


creation of a website which provides a comprehensive review of available One Health advocacy materials and information resources


cysticercosis, echinococcosis,


computer


based


education


programme


entitled ‘The Vicious Worm’ is also available from the platform and from its own homepage: www.theviciousworm.org.


for decision makers and other


interested parties. Its focus is on the eight NZDs identified by the WHO: anthrax, brucellosis,


leishmaniasis, rabies, trypanosomiasis and tuberculosis. Three different village settings in Africa are used to illustrate how people, their own health and that of their animals may be inter-connected. Within the villages


The Pan-African One Health Platform One of the main tools for disseminating the advocacy materials created by the consortium is the Pan-African One Health Platform. This collects and provides information, resources and advice on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of NZDs. The One Health concept is based on the fact that human health, animal health, and ecosystem health are inextricably


“We found it amazing that nobody had emphasised to these people the damage that the most prevalent zoonotic diseases were causing them”


a series of scenes illustrates everyday interactions between people and animals that can involve the risk of contracting one of these diseases. Clicking on a scene leads the viewer to a write-up about the disease and to a selection of advocacy materials, ranging from technical texts to posters and short videos, classified according to what they depict and their level (technical, popular etc.). The text and links to the materials can also be downloaded in the form of PDFs. For one of the zoonoses — Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis — an


electronic


linked. By keeping this in mind it is thought that health of all species can be improved by accelerating biomedical research


discoveries, enhancing public


health efficacy, expanding the scientific knowledge base, and improving medical education and clinical care. “We want to advocate that the One


Health approach is an effective approach to control and prevent NZDs,” explains Mukaratirwa. “We also want to make sure the advocacy materials for the NZDs are appropriate and adapted to each


Dogs live in many villages where they often act as guards or even help with herding animals or hunting. Most people know that rabies is a fatal disease which dogs can get, and give to people, usually by biting them. Artist: Joseph Kariuki ©Avia-GIS.


20


Insight Publishers | Projects


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