Strengthening Epidemic Resilience through One Health and Integrated Community-Based Surveillance

Last week, we took a significant step forward during a Training of Trainers workshop organized by the Institut Pasteur de Dakar at Center for Africa’s Resilience to Epidemics (CARE), Institut Pasteur de Dakar, where we introduced a 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥. This event brought together key representatives from the ministries of health, livestock, and environment, from both the central level and pilot districts.

This workshop is part of our project aimed at strengthening epidemic resilience in Senegal. The training enabled participants to :

• Understanding the processes of the new community-based surveillance model.
• Using the digital platform at community and health/veterinary/environment post levels.
• Detecting and notifying priority diseases of epidemic potential and zoonoses, and unusual events, and response actions.
• Identifying and notifying maternal and perinatal deaths and initiating response actions.
• Sensitizing pregnant and breast-feeding women on antenatal care, disease prevention, nutrition, well-being and health insurance enrollment through home visits.

Over the past year, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar has been working to enhance the 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦, 𝐂𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐢, while developing a model to integrate it with our 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 (𝟰𝗦).

By adopting a whole-of-society approach, we have consulted a diverse range of stakeholders, including ministries, NGOs, and community members. By combining evidence and collective experience, we have developed a One Health model to enable early detection of epidemics through community engagement, supported by digital tools.

𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 Catholic Relief Services 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐃𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐟!