In its efforts to advocate for a stronger and more actionable One Health approach in Southern Africa, Jembi—represented by Project Manager António Macheve Jr.—recently met with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) team in Botswana.
This included Dr. Carla Mucavi, FAO Country Representative, and Dr. Michael Flyman, Coordinator for the Environment and Natural Resources Portfolio.
Together, they discussed Botswana’s current One Health landscape and identified key areas needing technical assistance, including:
Improving collaboration among stakeholders
Harmonising plans among key One Health stakeholders
Integrating data systems from crucial sectors:
Environment
Public health
Animal health
Laboratories
The production of timely data for informed decision-making
One Health promotes coordinated efforts to accelerate biomedical research and enhance public health by identifying potential health threats early. Across Africa, this approach expands interdisciplinary collaboration between human and animal healthcare sectors.
As a member of the ERFAN network, Jembi plays an active role in advancing this initiative. Our contributions include:
Improving diagnostic procedures at the Mozambique Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL)
Supporting the CVL's accreditation and introducing biosafety standards
Building capacity in health information systems
Integrating One Health systems for surveillance purposes
These efforts have been made possible through collaboration with the University Eduardo Mondlane and with support from Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale (IZSAM).
Jembi’s ongoing work, along with our collaborators, highlights the importance of strong partnerships and technical innovation in addressing shared health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface.
By focusing on data integration and stakeholder harmonisation, Jembi continues to support evidence-based interventions aimed at preventing zoonotic diseases and promoting public health resilience in Southern Africa and across the globe.
