Context: The One Health approach recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are closely interrelated. According to this approach, actors from different sectors must cooperate to protect the health of all. To better recognize these interrelationships in Africa and implement improved health management, decision-makers must have access to reliable data that reflects these complex interrelationships. The aim of the project is to strengthen the technical and institutional prerequisites for the implementation of digitized One Health governance and management in Africa.
Objective: Data on human, animal and environmental health are intelligently connected and shared across borders.
Approach: The project supports the African Union (AU) in implementing the African Union Digital One Health Platform (AU-DOHP). The focus of the support provided is on training the staff of the InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in managing and developing the platform and in integrating countries.
The project also supports case studies to facilitate collaboration on data standards and to ensure consistency across the different systems. Data standards based on international guidelines allow connections to be made between rabies in people and animals, for example, and thus contribute to effective disease control. The results of the piloted cases are used to frame standards and regulations and serve as blueprints for other countries. The project works primarily with the governments of Cameroon, Malawi and Togo to achieve this objective.
A community of practice for open-source software supports the project in improving and maintaining the DOHP. The DOHP is established as a digital public good that can be freely used in other countries and other contexts as well.