Meeting Report : Strengthening capacity to respond to animal disease emergencies through Good Emergency Management Practice in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

This report is subsequent to the workshop organized in Soroti District — Uganda on November 2018, as part of the effort from the FAO to strengthen field veterinary preparedness and enhance zoonotic disease surveillance capabilities in East Africa. Different activities organized in 4 countries, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda under the FAO's GEMP (Good Emergency Management Practice) targeted a wide audience of animal health professionals. The workshop was organized in Soroti District in collaboration with the project recipient country's ministries/departments of animal and veterinary services to learn best practices and share experiences about dealing with animal disease emergencies. The workshop brought together participants who were systematically selected depending on technical expertise, history of incidence of zoonotic diseases in their districts, and multi-disciplinary inclusion. The delivery was made through plenary and focus group discussions drawing from experience and technical knowledge. Thirty-one participants were trained and these were from various disciplines, and they were acquainted with knowledge and skill on one health approach. The permanent threats of outbreaks that face Uganda in its Northern and North -Eastern region were discussed and solutions were suggested for an improved capacity to respond promptly to epidemics. With the given recommendations, participants believed that a better outbreak response performance could be achieved in the region.