Partners join hands to tackle zoonotic diseases in Kakamega

ZoNoH project is collaborating with Wageningen University and Research, Transdisciplinary Consultants, and other partners in both the private and public sphere to tackle zoonotic diseases and other One Health issues in Kakamega county.

Zoonotic diseases are infections spread between human beings and animals, resulting in illness and death, in the end negatively impacting livelihoods.

Speaking during a workshop seeking to establish a County One Health Unit (COHU) in Kakamega county, Dr Kelvin Momanyi, ZoNoH Project coordinator (Kenya) said they are working towards lowering the risk of zoonoses in the food system.

This is by strengthening the capacity of county governments, to better manage zoonotic disease, and capacity building for One Health and food systems operationalisation.

"The COVID-19 crisis has shown us the importance of not just responding to pandemics but actively preventing them. This workshop is a crucial step towards integrating One Health strategies into local governance and public health initiatives,” Dr Momanyi said.

ZoNoH, he said, is developing a replicable service for County One Health Units (COHUs) in Kenya, aimed at co-creating contextualised zoonoses management strategies.

"The service fosters effective collaboration across human, animal and environmental health sectors. It utilises global, national, and local data to assess the impact of zoonoses on health, society, and the economy, empowering decision-makers to make informed and concerted decisions.”

John Mwangi from the State Department for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry said, “Reducing the risks of zoonotic diseases will require local, national, and global efforts that anticipate how climate change could impact future transmission of zoonoses.”

On her part, Dr Khadija Chepkorir, Epidemiologist, Zoonotic Disease Unit (the Kenya One Health office), noted that effective collaboration and coordination across human, animal and environmental health sectors is the most powerful approach against the threat of zoonotic diseases and other public health events.

“Establishing the Kakamega COHU is a critical move toward synchronising our efforts and enhancing our response capabilities within the community,” she added.

More than 60 per cent of all human infections and above 75 per cent of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, meaning that they can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.

Kenya is at high risk of zoonotic diseases as evidenced by constant presence and recurrent outbreaks of anthrax, Rift Valley fever (RVF), rabies, brucellosis, non-typhoidal salmonellosis and bovine tuberculosis, among other zoonoses.

William Olaka, Director of Public Health, Kakamega County welcomed the collaboration, adding that it will be key in keeping anthrax at bay in Kakamega County. 

Olaka stated that they confront the recent anthrax outbreaks in Kakamega which normally occur between March and July every year, their commitment to strengthening zoonotic disease management through the One Health approach is more crucial than ever. 

This, he said by enhancing their preparedness and response strategies, they aim to safeguard not only the health of their community but also the economic stability that supports it. 

He added that these outbreaks remind them of the ongoing need for robust collaboration across health sectors to effectively manage and prevent such threats. 

According to the Kenya One Health Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Disease (2021-25), there is growing evidence, that zoonotic diseases cause significant socio-economic impacts in Kenya. 

The 2006-07 study on the socio-economic impact of the RVF outbreak indicated costs to control RVF in Kenya reached nearly Sh3 billion and the public health burden of RVF was 3.4 Disability Adjusted Live Years (DALYs) per 1000 people, with per capita household costs of Sh 11,800 for every reported human case.