Global One Health News

Grant to fund surveillance and control of Aedes mosquito-borne diseases in the Horn of Africa

The Global One Health initiative (GOHi) has been awarded a $750,000 grant over the next three years through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop tools to support public health decision-making in the surveillance and control of Aedes mosquito-borne arboviral diseases across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The project team will develop cutting-edge disease transmission models that represent how infectious diseases – specifically Dengue and Chikungunya – spread through human populations as a result of mosquito and tick bites.

Goff presented at the 20th International Congress for Infectious Diseases

Debra Goff, professor of pharmacy practice at the Ohio State College of Pharmacy, has worked collaboratively with South Africa’s thought leaders for the past 15 years to implement antibiotic stewardship programs. She recently conducted an interactive antibiotic stewardship workshop alongside South African pharmacist Angeliki Messina, who trained at Ohio State more than 10 years ago, at the 20th International Congress for Infectious Diseases in Cape Town, South Africa.

GOHi staff spotlight: Zerihun Shimeles Kasa

Zerihun S. Kasa is a highly skilled Infection prevention and control (IPC) specialist with nearly three years of dedicated service at the Global One Health initiative (GOHi) in Ethiopia. In his current role, he serves as an IPC officer at Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, where he is at the forefront of a project aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As a key player in the implementation of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s GAIHN-AMR module, Kasa has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining infection control measures designed to curb the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens, positioning Zewditu Memorial Hospital as a national model for infection prevention.

Strenthening Mpox detection in Ethiopia

The ongoing Mpox outbreak in some countries is a major public health challenge worldwide, highlighting the need for rapid and accurate laboratory capacity. The declaration by both the World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Mpox is a public health emergency will help to mobilize resources from different partners and strengthen risk communications.

To enhance Ethiopia’s capacity for pandemic preparedness Briana Lozano, deputy director of the Division of Global Health Protection at CDC-Ethiopia and Desalegne Mengesha, country director for Ohio State’s Global One Health - Ethiopia, delivered Mpox diagnostic kits to Melkamu Abte, deputy director general of Public Health Emergency Management. These kits highlight the importance of strengthening the diagnostic capacity of the institute, which will now be able to conduct more than 950 tests and reaffirms the U.S. CDC’s long-term commitment to global health security.

GOHi joins project dedicated to prevention and response of pandemics

The Global One Health initiative (GOHi) has been playing a key role in building Ethiopia’s capacity in global health security and One Health since 2012. GOHi recently joined the Ethio-Pandemic Multi-Sectoral Prevention, Preparedness, and Response project. The project aims to strengthen Ethiopia’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to pandemics by enhancing surveillance systems, improving national laboratory capacities and ensuring the availability of skilled One Health professionals. GOHi will work with key partners including Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, World Health Organization-Ethiopia and other partners and stakeholders.

Recent GOHi publications

The GOHi team continuously works to address the spread of disease, promote health and emphasize the connection among humans, animals and the environment. One way GOHi does this is through research. Read some of the latest projects the team has worked on:

• Updates on the Treatment of Drug-Susceptible and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: An Official ATS/CDC/ERS/IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline
• Factors Associated with Uptake of Routine Measles-Containing Vaccine Doses among Young Children, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, 2021
• Influence of system type and management practices on bacterial and fungal community structure in hydroponic systems: insights from commercial facilities in Ohio
• The Impact of Training Intervention on Levels of Indicator Bacteria and Prevalence of Selected Pathogens in Raw Milk From Smallholder Women Dairy Farmers in Central Ethiopia