As part of EAC and GIZ’s joint efforts to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks of public health concern, the GIZ Global Programme Pandemic Prevention and Response, One Health (GP-PPOH) has partnered with the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) and the Kibong’oto National Infectious Diseases Hospital (KIDH) in Tanzania to strengthen capacity for pandemic preparedness and infectious disease outbreaks.
Sir Professor Tumani Corrah, Founder and Interim CEO at AREF noted: "Working with GIZ to strengthen health research capacity at KIDH in Tanzania feeds into our long-term aspiration to extend such opportunities throughout East Africa and beyond to include other regions in Africa. The recent pandemic has revealed our level of pandemic response, and how it affects Africa differently due to limited knowledge and capacity. This partnership will lay the foundation for a robust epi/pandemic preparedness."
Ruth Schumacher, Head of GP-PPOH expressed: "We are really pleased that this new collaboration with AREF is beginning. One of our programme's aims is to strengthen scientific collaboration across sectors and disciplines and improve the evidence base to inform policy making and programming for pandemic prevention and response. This collaboration will support this aim whilst also investing in vital research capacities for the region."
The partnership aims to ensure a One Health approach that aids primary prevention for zoonotic diseases and other health threats arising from anti-microbiological resistance and health impacts of climate change on health. Further, the expected outcome of the collaboration is to increase research capacity for infectious diseases, pandemics, One Health approaches and early career research development across the research community.
Lastly, AREF is organizing to host an online event “Community Call”, in July 2023, to share the project aims, the impact it will have and to listen to country-based perspectives from partners at the Kibong’oto National Infectious Disease Hospital.
Find more information on AREF here.
Find more information on GP PPOH here and on Pandemic Preparedness (PanPrep) here.
For updates about the community call, visit AREF’s Twitter, Linkedin and Newsletter.
Photo: © Darabe Sarwatt