CDC - Global Health Security

Working with partners in Ethiopia, Ohio State is finding ways to prevent and control priority zoonotic diseases (currently Rabies and Brucella) and prevent antimicrobial resistance in Ethiopia. Through the Ohio State-Eastern Africa Global One Health Security project, Ohio State along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and partner institutions in Eastern Africa, are working together to help the Ethiopian government establish and expand systems, policies and practices for prevention, detection and build capacity.

Zoonotic diseases present a significant threat to the health and livelihood of Ethiopians. The human suffering and loss of life due to these diseases is devastating; the impact on livestock compounds the problem through decreased productivity and mortality, which further compromise food safety and security. Ohio State's strategy to prevent zoonotic diseases includes:

• Improve public and animal health surveillance and reporting of zoonotic pathogens by focusing on the five priority diseases: rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, leptospirosis and echinococcosis.
• Decrease zoonotic disease burden of the top priority organisms in Ethiopia by implementing One Health educational awareness campaigns.

Rabies prevention and control

With a roadmap document jointly developed by Ethiopian partners, Ohio State and the CDC, the project is anchored on four major areas:

• Surveillance and monitoring
• Prevention in animals; mass vaccination and population control
• Prevention in humans; provision of post-exposure prophylaxis
• Education and advocacy

Brucellosis prevention and control

• Improve policies and practices to integrate human and animal health surveillance and link human and veterinary health laboratory capacities to minimize spillover of zoonoses from animals to humans

Antimicrobial resistance control

Antimicrobial resistance is an important public health concern in Ethiopia and globally. Multi-drug resistant pathogens can result in major societal consequences in terms of human lives, prevalence of disease and death rates as a result. By capitalizing on the national strategic framework for prevention and containment of antimicrobial resistance, Ohio State hopes to accomplish the following:

• Increase the numbers of hospitals, health centers, and health posts practicing responsible use of antimicrobials to limit development/transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms
• Establish and increase surveillance programs to control the spread of antimicrobial resistant organisms
• Improve the supply chain and use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary settings