Strengthening South Africa's Laboratory and Epidemiology Capacity to Detect and Respond to Zoonotic Disease Outbreaks
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to increase South Africa's laboratory and epidemiology capacity to detect, respond, and control emerging and reemerging zoonotic infectious disease outbreaks in humans and animals by enhancing surveillance systems, building strong information systems to disseminate data, building collaboration between key partners, and making recommendations to public and veterinary health professionals and policymakers. In order to prevent outbreaks, reduce the incidence and prevalence of zoonotic disease among humans, improve detection, diagnosis, and treatment of zoonotic disease and decrease mortality and morbidity associated with zoonotic diseases in South Africa, it is essential to: Develop and expand South Africa’s capacity for zoonotic disease detection and response Establish surveillance system for key infectious diseases that are transmitted through vector or animal-human contact Emphasize priority diseases with high epidemic potential or mortality rates (e.g., West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever; CCHF; Rabies, Brucellosis, Anthrax and emerging vector-borne and zoonotic viruses) Implement real-time disease reporting and interface with human and veterinary public health information systems Pathogen discovery in animals, humans and vectors that resemble zoonotic diseases syndromes Advance electronic information systems to enhance real-time reporting and tracking of cases through regular reporting to local and international health agencies and prediction of outbreaks through modeling of risk factors for vector-borne and zoonotic disease outbreaks. Increase implementation of GHSA and IHR in South Africa Establish and/or strengthen collaborations with key partners Coordinate surveillance efforts with other global health security (GHS) implementing organizations Produce burden of disease data and scientific evidence for the importance of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases in Southern Africa, and ways to rapidly detect, respond and control outbreaks To disseminate this data to key audiences through scientific publication and reporting including international and local veterinary, public health and scientific audiences such as WHO/OIE/DOH/DAFF and other stakeholder agencies involved in controlling of diseases locally and internationally
Office: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
leloyan@cdc.gov
