Strengthening Cross-Border Diseases Surveillance through Cross-Border Zoning

Sponsors: East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community
Date: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Time: 12:30-14:00
Location: Benue/Plateau

No invitations necessary; open to all conference registrants

TARGET AUDIENCE:
Surveillance; medical scientists, clinicians, animal health, port health, customs, immigration, security, environmental health, district administrators, communication specialists, agriculture

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION: EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Background – The weak disease surveillance systems between countries require establishment of harmonized consensus-based collaborations and implementation of cross-border surveillance approaches. The East Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) through its World Bank supported projects; the Southern-Africa TB Health Systems Strengthening (SATBHSS) project and East African Public Health Laboratory Network (EAPHLN) established cross-border surveillance zones using a One Health approach.

Cross-border zones made up of one or more districts from either side of the border for each project country were identified based on length of the border, burden of the diseases, human and animal activities, presence of a health facility with laboratory and human population size. Cross-border committees were established for each zone representative of the One-Health approach whose roles include; conducting risk assessment, annual planning, resource mobilization and allocation, managing laboratory commodities, oversight of surveillance and response, and capacity building.

In this session the SATBHSS project seeks to:

  • Share experiences and lessons learned on the use of cross-border zoning using a One Health approach
  • Discuss practical solutions to data sharing across countries for use in emergency preparedness and response

SESSION LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Share experiences and lessons learned on the use of cross-border zoning using a One Health approach.
  • Discuss practical solutions to data sharing across countries for use in emergency preparedness and response.

Presenters:

  • ECSA-HC – The role of Cross-Border Zones in diseases surveillance, emergency preparedness and response.
  • Ministries of Health Lesotho and Uganda -Country Experience on Cross-Border Zones and how they help in emergency preparedness and response.
  • Africa CDC – Multi-Hazard Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans – Proposed Structure and their Utility in Response to Public Health Emergencies.
  • Round Table Discussion – Strategies for Data and Information sharing across countries at local/zone level for emergency preparedness and response (Panelists Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Burundi; Africa CDC, WHO AFRO.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

  • Knowledge Exchange on the impact of Cross-Border Zones in diseases emergency preparedness and response to events of public health importance.
  • Documented best practices in data sharing for emergency preparedness and response to events of public health importance.