Find out why TDDA supports a One Health approach.
International One Health Day is commemorated annually around the globe. In Uganda, this year’s celebration was organized by the National One Health Platform (NOHP) in collaboration with TDDA and other partners. The national theme of “Strengthening National One Health Practice” was reinforced with the opening of a biosafety level 2 laboratory – the 6th laboratory to receive accreditation in Uganda.
“One Health is an initiative that brings together the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to achieve optimal health for people, animals and our environment”, explains Dr. Winyi Kaboyo, our country coordinator for Uganda. “With so many infectious diseases passed from animals to humans, multi-disciplinary coordination is a life-saver. A One Health approach is central to TDDA’s work, which is why we were delighted to support this high-profile event”.
Attending the celebrations, held in the Queen Elizabeth National Park at Mweya on 3 Nov 2021, were Hon. Tom Butime, Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, and the US ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Natalie E. Brown. Other notable guests included Uganda Wildlife Authority board members and the Executive Director Mr. Sam Mwandha, who is also the current Chairperson of the NOHP.
The Hon. Minister welcomed the guests and noted that Uganda’s tourism sector was projected to grow, making the country one of the top five tourist destinations in Africa and generating considerable tax revenue. This anticipated increase in visitors was used as further illustration of the need for robust systems for disease detection and diagnostic surveillance, which the new state-of-the-art laboratory facilities will support.
One Health Day proceedings were led by NOHP Coordinator Musa Sekamatte and included presentations and discussions on antimicrobial resistance, brucellosis, multi-sectoral collaboration and One Health policy initiatives. In his closing remarks, he thanked TDDA for our support to Uganda’s NOHP team as well as our help to publicize the event. TDDA staff attended the celebrations to raise further awareness of our work.
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