Dates: 2019-2020

Background

The main objective of the CAZCOM project is to build Zimbabwe's capacity to improve the surveillance and control of important animal and zoonotic diseases. Environmental changes related to climate change have a major impact on the emergence of vector-borne and non-vector-borne diseases in humans, domestic animals and wildlife. The human, societal, environmental and economic costs associated with emerging and / or re-emerging infectious diseases are considerable. Zimbabwe, a country located in the subtropical area, will have to face many human and veterinary sanitary challenges in connection with these global changes. Currently, the lack of resources, skilled personnel, and advanced biotechnology infrastructures does not allow the country to put in place an adequate health response and effectively respond to diseases. The CAZCOM project with its training activities, the establishment of a laboratory with international standards, the development of research projects and the setting-up of effective surveillance and control systems for emerging infectious diseases aims to increase the Zimbabwe autonomy for the control of animal diseases and follow the national strategy for its livestock farming. 

Main activities

Component 1: Technical and Academic Training

- Develop technical training in molecular biology for the staff of the project partners (University, Departments of the Ministry of Agriculture) as well as the private sector (veterinary and medical analysis laboratories);

- Develop Master level training modules in partnership with the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (UZ) and the faculties of biology of other universities;

- Update curricula of existing masters of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (UZ) in epidemiology, control of vector-borne diseases and pathology;

- Train on innovative tools for surveillance and control programs (CMR, risk analysis ...);

- Supervise master students;

- To create links between masters courses in veterinary science and biology / ecology.

Component 2: Technical capacity development in molecular biology

- To create a permanent molecular platform of international standard within the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Zimbabwe;

- Train the technical staff of the Division of Livestock and Veterinary Sciences and the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences in the use of the new technical platform;

- Identify a legal framework for setting up and managing the technical platform;

- Develop technical partnerships with the private sector (farmers and private laboratories) and scientific collaborations with national and international research institutions.

Component 3: Establishment of effective and autonomous surveillance systems for surveillance of animal and zoonotic diseases

- Establish protocols for the collection of biological samples on wildlife and domestic animals to determine the diseases that circulate at the interfaces Human - Wildlife - Livestock;

- Understand the modes of transmission between species at the interfaces Human - Wildlife - Livestock;

- Establishment of monitoring protocols on the dynamics of the circulation of diseases in space and time;

- Develop diagnostic confirmation tools for some important diseases

- To carry out a qualitative and economic evaluation of the surveillance systems;

- Identify new surveillance strategies adapted to the context and agricultural landscape.

Component 4: Project Management

- Ensure coordination and administration of the project

- Create and implement a communication plan

- Evaluate the project mid-term and at the end of the project

Partnership

The success of this project is based on existing collaborations between CIRAD, IRD and their local and international partners developed in recent years through the "Partnership Production and Conservation Research Platform" (RP-PCP). The RP-PCP has established links with Zimbabwe's leading universities as well as with key departments of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment. This network enables the RP-PCP and all its partners to create joint research projects and benefit from a regional research dynamic.

In practice, the four institutions identified to form the consortium responsible for the FSPI CAZCOM project are:

- The Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Zimbabwe: it will provide the necessary premises for the creation of the technical platform, the laboratory equipment and the necessary staff for the maintenance and operation of the molecular biology platform. She will also be responsible for academic training and the delivery of diplomas (components 1, 2 and 3).

- The Veterinary Services (DLVS) of the Ministry of Agriculture: They will participate in all health surveillance operations developed by the project, facilitate obtaining the necessary authorizations for the project. The molecular platform will be linked to the Veterinary Services Laboratory to strengthen their analytical capabilities (Component 2 and 3).

- CIRAD will ensure the overall coordination of the project, the administrative and financial management of the project. He will be responsible for the organization of technical training and the implementation of surveillance / control systems for diseases and zoonoses (components 1, 2, 3 and 4).

- The IRD will co-coordinate the project and set up and operate the molecular biology platform. He will participate in training and surveillance / control activities for diseases and zoonoses. He will be responsible for wildlife harvesting and surveillance activities for zoonotic diseases (components 1, 2 and 3).

- RP-PCP will provide supervision and scientific monitoring of recruited students (Component 1)

- The SCAC will ensure the supervision and regular monitoring of the project, notably through the scientific and consultative workshops of the project (component 4).