Zoonotic diseases require a workforce that can efficiently and effectively coordinate and collaborate across human and animal health sectors for better prevention, detection and response. In order to articulate One Health workforce needs at a country level, Tanzania hired two consultants (one from human health sector and the second one from animal health sector) to synthesize existing workforce needs as articulated in national-level assessments, strategies and reports. Analysis was based on national and international standards, capacities and performance tools such as the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) that provide essential information for understanding current workforce capacity.
The workshop was therefore planned for the consultants to share the synthesis report that includes an overview of the current workforce capacity and gaps as well as One Health cross-sectoral core competency gaps with the members of the National One Health Platform. The OH-SMART tool was also used for workforce planning by analyzing field capacities at individual and institutional level, based on the identified national priority zoonotic diseases. Cross-sectoral workforce training gaps were identified for improving systems operations for preventing, detecting and responding to zoonotic disease threats. Therefore, participants identified training priorities based on the mapping results and made recommendations for implementation for each sector.
The workshop, held July 27th – 29th 2017 at Giraffe Ocean View Hotel in Dar es Salaam, drew 27 participants from the various relevant state and non-state sectors and actors.
Objectives of the workshop included:
- To be familiar with existing national workforce needs (sector-specific, cross-sectoral and institutional)
- To use the OH-SMART process to map existing multi-agency, cross-sectoral collaboration for prioritized zoonotic disease outbreaks. (Diseases will be mapped based on the outputs of the CDC Zoonotic Disease Prioritization Workshop held June 2017).
- To utilize existing needs and OH-SMART-identified operation needs to prioritize sector-specific, cross-sectoral and institutional workforce challenges.
- To develop action plans to improve multi-agency, cross-sectoral collaboration during prioritized zoonotic disease outbreaks at national level with an emphasis on workforce needs.
Outputs from this workshop are to be incorporated into a national One Health workforce needs report, providing recommendations for university-supported and other capacity building efforts.
There was good technical representation as indicated by the varied health professionals who attended from Port Health Authority; Animal health, epidemiology and surveillance, animal production and value chain; FAO-ECTAD; P&R; Community development, Gender and Administration (Emergency coordination Unit); Policy in animal health; Prime Minister’s office – (Disaster preparedness); MUHAS and SUA (Public Health and vet Medicine). The workshop successfully generated a number of important ideas from the experts. These will be combined with the consultants’ review to produce a final synthesis report and action plan document. Workshop participants learnt and appreciated OH-SMART as a tool for One Health systems mapping and analysis as well as workforce planning.
The improved synthesis and plan will be presented to high level decision makers from the various government sectors and universities during the validation meeting of the report. This meeting will bring on board Directors from the ministries (DVS, Chief Medical Officer or Director preventive medicine, Animal production, chief medical officer, Deputy Vice Chancellor and directors of IRD institutions, local government authorities, the implementers, TAMISEMI, Director- Sector Coordination, Office of the President, and representation from Ministry of Education; National Environmental Monitoring Commission. Resolutions from this proposed group meeting will be presented to Permanent Secretaries to initiate action.