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By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa/ KMA Updates.
Makerere, Kampala-Uganda: The four Universities expect to to find better solutions and approaches on climate change & zoonotic diseases under the CIDIMOH Project.
(L-R) Dr. Clovice Kankya, Head of department of Biosecurity, ecosystems and Veterinary Public Health at College of Veterinary Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) and Morten Tryland Professor in One health and infectious biology at The Arctic University of Norway chat after the launch of CIDIMOH Project at Makerere University. Photo by JuliusMugaga Tukacungurwa.
The 6 year Climate change and Infectious Diseases Management a one Health Approach, (CIDIMOH) a NORHED II Project has been launched with funding from Norwegian Government coordinated at The Arctic University of Norway and Makerere University Department of Biosecurity, ecosystems and Veterinary Public Health in partnership with University of Barl El Ghazal.
Dr. Clovice Kankya the head of department of Biosecurity, ecosystems and Veterinary and Public Health at College of Veterinary Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) mentioned that the project will help them build a critical mass able to address and better manage issues of climate change and zoonotic (animal to human) diseases management in Uganda and South Sudan.
Dr. Clovice Kankya, Head of department of Biosecurity, ecosystems and Veterinary Public Health at College of Veterinary Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) addresses media after the launch of CIDIMOH Project. Photo by JuliusMugaga Tukacungurwa
He noted that this will help them to as well develop a center of excellence that will coordinate and provide solutions to climate change and zoonotic diseases management in the countries.
He also believed that it will help them secure community-driven platform to create awareness involving the youths, children and women in key hotspot areas in two countries.
He informed that this will be better implemented through capacity building by equipping 6 students with master’s courses from Makerere University and University of Barl El Ghazal each providing three and six for PhD in equal share.
Community aspect will also be key in implementing this fight through engagements, awareness programs, provision of documentation in form of brochures, books and others and sensitizing them on the dos and don’ts of controlling Zoonotic diseases.
Morten Tryland Professor in One health and infectious biology at The Arctic University of Norway told this News Website that the Norwegian government has donated to tune of 10Million Norwegian Krone to run activities the 6 years CIDIMOH project.
Morten Tryland Professor in One health and infectious biology at The Arctic University of Norway speaks to media on CIDIMOH Project at Makerere University. Photo by JuliusMugaga Tukacungurwa
Tryland added that they decided to collaborate with Makerere University and University of Barl El Ghazel in order to combine expertise in infectious biology and social sciences to come up with one approach to this project.
He noted that they chose Uganda and South Sudan because they had collaborated before in other projects in related areas.
About small pox, Tryland mentioned that the disease directly fall into zoonotic diseases (animal to human spread) and that it spreads through contact but can be avoided.
He added it is identified when someone has skin rashes, fever then blisters on skin however gave hope that it can vaccinated.
Ambrose Samuel Jubara Professor of Clinical Studies University of Barl El Ghazal responds to interview questions after project launch. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
Ambrose Samuel Jubara Professor of Clinical Studies University of Barl El Ghazal told this News Website that since close to 85% of South Sudanese are illiterate and most of them being pastoralists with little knowledge about zoonotic disease, this project will be a savior.
“South Sudan is a museum of zoonotic disease, animals and people can even reach the extent of dieing before detecting that they are suffering from such diseases”. He quoted.
This project will help us create awareness, capacity building and devise possible means of countering these diseases from majorly our pastoral communities and the entire population of South Sudan, we are so optimistic that the 6 students on masters and PhD will be a magic bullet to end this.
John Klein a Professor in Microbiology infection prevention Faculty of Health and Social sciences Department of Nursing and Health Sciences explains more on the project. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
John Klein a Professor in Microbiology infection prevention Faculty of Health and Social sciences Department of Nursing and Health Sciences lauded the collaboration of the universities in this project as it will gather knowledge in one health and zoonotic diseases since they cut across all countries.
He says they can learn a lot from scientists from Uganda and South Sudan.
“It is dangerous to live with animals whose appropriate health is not screened as it puts absolute risk to human health. Diseases like rabies, ebola, Covi-19, monkey pox all sporead from animals to human”. He added.
Beneficiaries of this project who are students that include James Muleme pursuing a PhD in Public Health from Makerere University school of Public Health under department of Disease Control and Environmental Health and Peter Michael Marin from University of Barl El Ghazal believed that at the end of the project,
They will provide explanation to the possible roots of resistant jams which will help their countries to devise possible means of fighting them.
Will help the two countries take samples of assumed health animals and screen their exact status in order control the related diseases.
Will help in capacity building of communities and interest ministries of Health in their counties in the new research in zoonotic diseses.