OHCEA Regional CCC Meeting: Leveraging Stakeholder Involvement in One Health Central and Eastern Africa

The meeting brought together 56 members from six countries, representing government, non-governmental institutions, and OHCEA universities. This diverse group included representatives from education, environment, veterinary, nursing, and public health departments, fostering trans-disciplinary, multicultural, and multi-sectoral relationships and partnerships. The meeting served as an opportunity for OHCEA to engage directly with stakeholder groups and initiate a discussion about CCC members' roles and responsibilities, norms for each CCC, and planned activities for the period of January to September 2012. The Ugandan Minister of State for Health, the Honorable Dr. Richard Nduhuura, officially opened the meeting, emphasizing the need for multi-disciplinary and multisectoral support to address the challenge of new zoonotic diseases. He affirmed that Uganda fully subscribes to the One Health concept. Case studies of One Health application from each participating country were presented during the meeting. These included a fatal outbreak of unknown cause and landslides in Uganda, the benefit of One Health approach in disease control in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rift Valley Fever outbreaks in Tanzania and Kenya, an Avian Influenza outbreak in Ethiopia, and an H1N1 outbreak in Rwanda. These presentations highlighted the importance of collaboration and coordination among different sectors and departments to address emerging pandemic threats. The meeting was a significant step towards achieving OHCEA's mission and vision, which emphasizes the need to work with stakeholders in government and non-governmental institutions for successful implementation. The OHCEA CCCs are responsible for their country-specific activities and to support each country's university work. The meeting's success was a result of the commitment and collaboration among the participants, who recognized the importance of working together to address the challenges of emerging pandemic threats. The One Health approach, which was a central theme of the meeting, emphasizes the need for collaboration and coordination among different sectors and departments to address emerging pandemic threats. This approach recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected and that a comprehensive understanding of these relationships is essential for effective disease control and prevention. The meeting's focus on the One Health approach and the importance of stakeholder involvement in addressing emerging pandemic threats reflects the growing recognition of the need for a more integrated and collaborative approach to public health.