One Health: An Integrated Approach for Disease Prevention and Control in Pastoral Areas of Ethiopia

Abstract

The human, animal and environment interface has made the routine disease prevention and control process difficult and unsuccessful. This condition created a new concept, one health, in which the health of each group is interconnected and dependent. This concept is based on the collaborative efforts and communication of multiple disciplines working together to attain optimal health of people, animals, and the environment. Therefore, the objective of this review is to show how an integrated work between concerned bodies mainly animal and public health is helpful for better health in the pastoral areas of Ethiopia through one health approach. The emergence and re-emergence of pathogens due to various factors will threaten the health and well being of people and animals throughout the globe. Pastoralism refers to a livelihood based on livestock rearing which involves sedentary or mobile communities. Zoonotic infections, transmissible between humans and animals, are closely associated with pastoralism. Since the animal and human interface is very intimate and common event in the pastoral areas of Ethiopia, it is very difficult to address the health of animals and humans separately but better if integrated. There are many authors who reported various zoonotic diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, hydatidosis, toxoplasmosis etc in the pastoral areas of Ethiopia. There is a knowledge gap both in the pastoralists and health professionals about zoonoses. There is no collaborative work between animal and human health professionals to create awareness about zoonoses to the community. Traditional husbandry and poor management practices, mixing of wild animals with farm animals and unrestricted movement of pastoralists with their animals, consumption of raw milk and meat together with handling of sick animals and animal products with bare hand facilitates transmission of zoonotic diseases to pastoralists. Therefore, capacity building training to health professionals, awareness creation to the community through health extension workers and promoting collaborative health programs in one health approach is very important for successful and sustainable disease prevention and control in the pastoral areas of Ethiopia.

Keywords: Pastoralism, Zoonoses, One health, Ethiopia