Projects Indigenous Health - Reducing Incidences Of Diseases That Affect Humans And Livestock - (2018 - 2020)
In addition to work by EVF-Kenya and its partners in recent years to combat Rift Valley Fever, it is now planned to tackle two other Zoonotic diseases (diseases that affect both humans and livestock). Leishmaniosis and Brucellosis are widespread in the arid regions of Kenya and represent a major risk to Indigenous livestock farmers.
Leishmaniosis causes severe damage to the liver, spleen and bone marrow and if left untreated, it frequently causes death in both humans and animals. In the case of Rift Valley Fever, outbreaks tend to occur after heavy rainfall – there is currently an epidemic in Narok, Kajiado, Samburu, Marsabit, Garissa and Wajir Counties of Kenya. In addition to human deaths resulting from a lack of medication and vaccination, the prevalence of stillbirths and deaths in livestock together with a ban on selling meat represent a major problem for people largely dependent upon livestock farming for their livelihood. Similarly, Brucellosis causes animals to abort and produces flu-like symptoms in humans, which if left untreated can result in death. In pastoral regions, a large percentage of the human and livestock populations are infected with Brucellosis.
A characteristic of all three diseases (Rift Valley Fever, Brucellosis and Leishmaniosis) is that they can be transmitted from animals to human and vice-versa. However, there is no reliable coordination between the authorities responsible for human health and those responsible for animal health. If an outbreak occurs, this makes it more difficult to identify the disease at an early stage and so it spreads more quickly. A framework regulating the cooperation between different authorities can make a significant contribution to an integrated process for containment and monitoring.
The 'Indigenous Health' project seeks to locate the whereabouts of the pathogen promptly, identify risk areas and if outbreaks occur to ensure that a programme of targeted measures (e.g. vaccination campaign for Rift Valley Fever) is carried out by relevant government agencies. It is also important that Indigenous people understand what causes the diseases and what they can do to protect themselves from infection. Specially trained Community Health Workers are, therefore, conducting information campaigns.
Leishmaniosis causes severe damage to the liver, spleen and bone marrow and if left untreated, it frequently causes death in both humans and animals. In the case of Rift Valley Fever, outbreaks tend to occur after heavy rainfall – there is currently an epidemic in Narok, Kajiado, Samburu, Marsabit, Garissa and Wajir Counties of Kenya. In addition to human deaths resulting from a lack of medication and vaccination, the prevalence of stillbirths and deaths in livestock together with a ban on selling meat represent a major problem for people largely dependent upon livestock farming for their livelihood. Similarly, Brucellosis causes animals to abort and produces flu-like symptoms in humans, which if left untreated can result in death. In pastoral regions, a large percentage of the human and livestock populations are infected with Brucellosis.
A characteristic of all three diseases (Rift Valley Fever, Brucellosis and Leishmaniosis) is that they can be transmitted from animals to human and vice-versa. However, there is no reliable coordination between the authorities responsible for human health and those responsible for animal health. If an outbreak occurs, this makes it more difficult to identify the disease at an early stage and so it spreads more quickly. A framework regulating the cooperation between different authorities can make a significant contribution to an integrated process for containment and monitoring.
The 'Indigenous Health' project seeks to locate the whereabouts of the pathogen promptly, identify risk areas and if outbreaks occur to ensure that a programme of targeted measures (e.g. vaccination campaign for Rift Valley Fever) is carried out by relevant government agencies. It is also important that Indigenous people understand what causes the diseases and what they can do to protect themselves from infection. Specially trained Community Health Workers are, therefore, conducting information campaigns.
Project Urgency
Indigenous Health is an integrated approach to the control of Zoonotic diseases. In Narok, Kajiado, Samburu, Marsabit, Garissa and Wajir Counties of Kenya, the three diseases represent a major risk to both humans and animals. The disease pathogens are transmitted by insects, meat or raw milk. The Indigenous Health approach recognizes the fact that Indigenous people's health, animals and the environment are inextricably linked.
Until now, various diseases have often been treated separately, either as a human or livestock diseases, and has ignored the link between them. The control of these diseases, therefore, requires a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach and cooperation between researchers, livestock farmers, Indigenous communities and officials from the health and veterinary agencies.
Until now, various diseases have often been treated separately, either as a human or livestock diseases, and has ignored the link between them. The control of these diseases, therefore, requires a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach and cooperation between researchers, livestock farmers, Indigenous communities and officials from the health and veterinary agencies.
Project Beneficiaries
Some 2,500 people from two communities will benefit directly, 50% of whom are women. Indirectly, some 20,000 people living in the two large communities where the project is being carried will benefit from better disease recognition and the new knowledge acquired by their neighbours. directly affected.
Project Objectives
- Prevent disease by analysing levels of knowledge of the diseases locally using a KAP analysis (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices) and providing relevant training
- Develop a framework protocol to improve cooperation between the authorities responsible for animal and human health and so help to identify Zoonoses at an early stage.
- Optimise government disease eradication plans
- Evaluation by external experts in order to investigate the possibility of a future phase.
Project Milestones
Since the project was initiated, EVF has worked with community health workers and researchers, to set up a mosquito-based, early- warning system for Rift Valley Fever. During the training sessions and surveys conducted at the local level, it was found that Indigenous communities also had to cope with other serious diseases: This follow-up project tackled these additional diseases.
Project Sustainability
The local and national authorities (Kenya Zoonotic Disease Unit) are an integral part of the Indigenous Health project. In future they will be able to take on the running of the project activities independently and adapt them to their own disease control plans. Successful cooperation between specialists in the human and animal health sectors will allow the approach to be extended to other Indigenous communities and counties across Kenya. The cooperation between researchers, Indigenous Communities with the research institutes, will ensure a speedy transfer of knowledge between the research sector and those working in the field to recognize and treat rampant Zoonotic diseases.