CIMTRADZ: a US-Africa Higher Education Collaborative Model for Sustainable Capacity Development in Trans-Boundary Diseases and Zoonoses Management in Eastern and Central Africa

CIMTRADZ: a US-Africa Higher Education Collaborative Model for Sustainable Capacity Development in Trans-Boundary Diseases and Zoonoses Management in Eastern and Central Africa

Margaret Loy Khaitsa^1,&, John David Kabasa², John Baligwamunsi Kaneene³, Abel Bulamu Ekiri⁴, Florence Wakoko⁵, William Sischo⁶, Samuel Majalija², Gabriel Tumwine², Douglas Freeman⁷, Claire Card⁷, Kiama Gitahi⁸, Charles Mulei⁸, Robinson Mdegela⁹, Berihu Gebrekidan¹⁰, Maurice Byuka¹¹, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka¹²

¹Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, USA, ²College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, ³Center for Comparative Epidemiology Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA, ⁴One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA, ⁵Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia, USA, ⁶College of Veterinary Medicine, Food and Waterborne Disease Research, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA, ⁷Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, ⁸College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya, ⁹College of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania, ¹⁰College of Veterinary Medicine, Mekelle, University Ethiopia, ¹¹College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Rwanda, Rwanda, ¹²Conservation Through Public Health, Uganda

^&Corresponding author
Margaret Loy Khaitsa, Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, USA

Introduction    

Africa-US Higher Education Initiative Partnership Grant: in 2010, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and Higher Education for Development awarded 11 partnership grants of about $2.0 million each to universities in Africa and the United States (US) to address national and regional priorities in sub-Saharan Africa. Each partnership had two lead institutions (in Africa and in US), and was focused on developing collaborative research and academic programs to build the capacity of the African and US institutions to affect change in Africa. Each of the 11 partnerships developed a five-year strategic plan including a long-range vision to build human and institutional capacity development. In the context of these grants, institutional capacity building comprised Curriculum Development, Dual or Joint Degrees, Faculty and Student Exchanges, Joint Research, Scholarships and Fellowships, Community Outreach, National and International Conferences, and Sustainable Partnerships with Government support. Higher education institutions that were recipients of 2010 Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Partnership Grants include: International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (Burkina Faso) and Tuskegee University (AL) working on Water and Environmental Technology; Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) and the University of Connecticut addressing Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management; University of Ghana's College of Health Sciences and Brown University (RI) working on Higher Education Initiative for HIV/AIDS; Kenyatta University (Kenya) and Syracuse University (NY) addressing Building Capacity through Quality Teacher Preparation; University of Nairobi (Kenya) and Colorado State University working on the Sustainability of Drylands; University of Liberia and Indiana University, Bloomington developing a Life Sciences Planning Initiative; University of Malawi's Bunda College of Agriculture and Michigan State University´s Chancellor College working on Ecosystems Services: Linking Science to Action in Malawi and the Region; Université Gaston-Berger (Senegal) and The Ohio State University working to Develop a West African e-Education Agro-ecology Program for Sustainable Food Production; University of Cape Town (South Africa) and University of Cincinnati working on Solar Energy Devices for Africa; Catholic University of Sudan and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are Rebuilding Higher Education in Agriculture to Support Food Security, Economic Growth, and Peace Efforts in Post-Conflict Southern Sudan; and Makerere University (Uganda) and North Dakota State University addressing Capacity Building in Integrated Management of Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses in Eastern and Central Africa. Additional details on the partnerships are available at http://www.partnership-africa.org/content/africa-us-higher-education-initiative-partnership-grant-recipients-announced [1].

Methods     

The Africa-US Integrated Disease Management (AFRUS-IDM) network (Figure 1) is one of the 11 partnerships that was awarded funding to develop human and institutional capacity to manage transboundary animal diseases (TADs) and zoonoses in East and Central Africa (ECA) (Figure 2). The AFRUS-IDM network comprised twelve higher education institutions and three nongovernmental organizations in Africa and North America (US and Canada). The network developed a project “Capacity Building in Integrated Management of Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (CIMTRADZ)”, to manage TADs and zoonoses in ECA. ECA institutions included: Makerere University (Mak) in Uganda (Lead Africa institution), University of Nairobi, (Kenya), Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania), Mekelle University (Ethiopia), University of Rwanda (Rwanda), Sheik Technical Veterinary School (Somali land), Africa Epidemiology Network-AFENET (Non- Governmental Organization (NGO)), Terra Nuova - Eastern Africa (NGO), and Conservation Through Public Health-CTPH (NGO). The US partners included: North Dakota State University (NDSU) (Lead US Institution 2010-2013), Mississippi State University (MSSTATE) (Lead US Institution 2014-2015), Michigan State University (MSU), Columbus State University (CSU), Washington State University (WSU), University of Minnesota (U of M), Kansas State University (KSU), and University of Saskatchewan (Canada).

The CIMTRADZ project was predicated on the first guiding principle of the One World, One Health concept [2] that recognizes the essential link between human, domestic animal and wildlife health and the threat disease poses to people, their food supplies and economies and the biodiversity essential to maintaining the healthy environments and functioning ecosystems. CIMTRADZ aimed to build a system for effective management of TADs and zoonoses through transformative education, collaborative research and community engagement to promote animal health, public health and food security. CIMTRADZ activities included developing an integrated and coordinated surveillance system for zoonotic and TADs, and building animal, human and environmental diagnostic capacity using a “One Health” approach. The research was conducted by graduate and undergraduate students at Mak and other ECA institutions, and by collaborative research at partner institutions. Educational and outreach activities included: joint degrees, joint courses, improved curricula, distance education, advocacy, service learning and servant leadership. Gender mainstreaming was a cross-cutting theme in all CIMTRADZ activities. The AFRUS-IDM consortium model (Figure 1) was a new paradigm that recognized the unique strengths of each institution in the partnership while enabling resource sharing and increased student access to valuable educational, research, and community service programs while maintaining rigorous academic standards. The partners were largely networked electronically to minimize costs with regular conference calls. The consortium provided students from the ECA greater access to institutions of higher learning in ECA, US and Canada accomplished in several ways including: joint conferences held by all partners at Mak with concurrent training offered to participants from ECA institutions through workshops. In turn, regional ECA partners provided opportunities for on-the-ground research projects and service learning activities. These opportunities were invaluable training tools for both understanding the nature of unique issues in specific communities and for engaging the community´s buy-in for informed disease management strategies. This collaborative model had a positive impact on the community´s economic development.

Additionally, a center of excellence, the Africa Institute for Strategic Services and Development, AFRISA [3] was established at Mak. This center provided a framework for Academic-Community-Public-Private Partnerships integrating ECA institutions of higher learning, government and the community (Figure 3). AFRISA provided the framework for integration of education, research, and service in an established infrastructure. This model also incorporates service learning where the students learn (supervised by faculty), while serving the community to address a need. With private funding, Mak AFRISA, uses students to address specific targeted problems in the communities.

Results     

Major accomplishments

CIMTRADZ major accomplishments included: joint academic programs involving a study abroad program (international summer course), a dual master´s degree program, state, national and global training programs on science and policy interface; joint research initiatives; faculty and student exchange, joint professional development initiatives for faculty and administrative staff; joint community service initiatives; and joint sustainable development initiatives such as Higher Education Resource Services, East Africa (a Women´s Leadership and Management Training model) and a Regional University Mediated Partnership Enhancing Livelihoods and Health in Africa (RUMPELHA).

Joint academic programs

NDSU and Mak developed a joint study abroad course “International Animal Production, Disease Surveillance and Public Health” in Uganda in 2007 [4]. This course offered global perspectives in tropical animal production systems; animal health; control of zoonoses and epidemics/epizootics; biosurveillance and biosecurity; public health practice; and food safety, using One Health. As a direct result of the success of this course, NDSU and Mak were awarded a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Higher Education Challenge grant in 2008-2011 to develop a joint Master of Science degree and Graduate Certificate in International Infectious Disease Management and Biosecurity (MS-IDM) [5]. The study abroad course was one of three core courses for the MS-IDM degree, and CIMTRADZ trained junior faculty from all ECA institutions in this course in Uganda for four years. The MS-IDM prepared students for careers in animal production, international agencies, government, regional or state health departments; From 2011 to 2015, the MS-IDM program graduated over 30 students who were admitted to Medical School (2), or PhD programs (5), or were employed by US State Departments of Health (2) Uganda government (12), other private sector (2), and Mak including AFRISA (5). Additionally, CIMTRADZ developed new courses including the State, National [6] and Global Policy courses.

Curricula development

In addition to the MS-IDM and study abroad programs, the following curricula were developed: 1) New modules at Mak including; service learning, infectious disease modelling, disease outbreak investigation, International Animal Health, Policy and Biosecurity, Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics; online blended course in International Animal Production, Disease Surveillance and Public Health, and a gender sensitive community service learning; 2) Revised the MS-Veterinary Preventive Medicine curriculum at Mak into two tracks (Field Epidemiology and Animal health Economics), revised the gender sensitive Multiple Entry-Multiple Exit (MEME) model for the Biomedical Laboratory program (women and other disadvantaged groups); 3) Developed and approved 11 (Multiple Entry, Multiple Exit - MEME) courses in industrial value chain programs at AFRISA, Mak, Uganda; and 4) Developed a new course, International Health Policy and Biosecurity, at NDSU.

Training activities at the science and policy interface

WSU, U of M, U of C, Davis (since 2008), and NDSU (in 2012) offered the National Animal Health and Food Security Policy course [6]. This one-week experiential learning course in Washington DC integrated science, beliefs and policy around a thematic topic, and covered policy and leadership skill building; provided opportunities for engaging with different leaders in food security, public health and the agriculture sector such as Environment and Protection Agency, USDA, American Farm Bureau, and American Veterinary Medical Association [6]; and provided understanding of policy formulation and communication skills. Additional related courses included the State Policy course held at a State Capitol and the Global Health Policy course, also held in Washington DC and included engaging intergovernmental organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Animal Health Organization (OIE), The World Bank, and USAID.

Joint research initiatives

CIMTRADZ collaborative research trained over 30 MS-IDM students resulting in over 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications (Table 1) and 20 abstracts, and presentations at scientific meetings (Table 2), over 20 policy briefs and lay reports, and joint grant submissions by partner institutions. The reports were shared with government and communities where studies were conducted. MSU and Mak developed and implemented a baseline survey instrument for TADs surveillance systems in Uganda; MSSTATE and Mak conducted a brucellosis outbreak investigation in Uganda; CSU, MSU and Mak conducted a gender auditing survey; WSU and Mak conducted research in food and waterborne pathogens between humans, livestock, food, and wildlife. Also, over $1,000,000 in additional funding was leveraged through CIMTRADZ project activities, including $60,000 from Emerging Pandemic Threats Program (RESPOND) collaborative training of 12 junior faculty from ECA and $66,000 from USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service, to train and mentor scientists from Senegal and Ethiopia at MSU.

Joint professional development initiatives for faculty and administrators

Five international conferences and International Boma (workshops) were held in Uganda during CIMTRADZ (2011-2015). At the conferences, students and faculty from ECA, US and Canada shared their research with partners and stakeholders, and several workshops and specialized short-term training were offered targeting professional development of ECA faculty and staff. Over 500 staff participated in short-term training (2 weeks to 6 months); Workshops and short-term trainings were facilitated by partner institutions and invited experts. Several topics covered in the workshops and short-term trainings, included: Rabies diagnostics facilitated by KSU/University of Pretoria in 2012; Data analysis using R software facilitated by WSU in 2012; Service learning facilitated by CSU in 2012; One Health service learning facilitated by U of S in 2012; Grant writing facilitated by MSU in 2012; Risk assessment and analysis facilitated by U of M in 2012; Disease outbreak investigation facilitated by NDSU in 2012; Data collection tools and basic data analysis training facilitated by Mak COVAB in 2013; and Short term training on online course delivery system facilitated by Makerere University Sciences Knowledgebase (MUSK) in 2013. The training was aimed at equipping Mak staff with knowledge and skills to use MUSK, an E-learning platform to prepare teaching materials, lessons and teach students. Additionally, CIMTRADZ project facilitated faculty exchange between U.S. and Africa partner institutions, which benefitted several faculty from Africa and US partner institutions. In 2011 and 2012, ten junior faculty from Mak enrolled in MS-IDM degree and spent 2 semesters to 2 years at NDSU. In 2014, eight junior faculty from Mak spent three months at MSU and MSSTATE, and acquired specialized skills in infectious disease management.

Joint community service initiatives

Several community engagement and outreach activities aimed at addressing local problems in the community were conducted by partner institutions. Mak, AFRISA and CTPH conducted community engagement and training activities related to Brucellosis. Through AFRISA, courses were offered to 60 dairy farmers in Mbarara and 60 in Kisoro districts on Hygiene and safety along the milk value chain. In addition, brucellosis screening was conducted for 200 goats and 134 cattle in Lyantonde district, and for 152 cattle in Mpigi district. Test results and interpretation were provided to the farmers, local stakeholders, and used to inform policy at the local government level. CSU in collaboration with Mak COVAB facilitated two service learning community engagement activities on leadership skills and rabies vaccination and public health information sharing in two local communities in Kampala (Uganda). Sixty-nine undergraduate, graduate and veterinary students from the Mak COVAB participated in leadership skills training activities in Kiswa, and performed rabies vaccination and public health information sharing activities in Mbuya. This was a classic example of an outreach project to a community to address a problem using students who were serving while learning.

Mak COVAB in collaboration with USAID (OHCEA Vetcap Umbrella) conducted community engagement activities in Moroto, Karamoja in 2012. The Mak COVAB and School of Public Health and Nursing, in collaboration with U.S. Army Civil Affairs units conducted trainings under a veterinary civic-action project (VetCap) in the pastoral communities of Karamoja. The training involved designing of sustainable community health programs as a means to counter the threat of zoonotic diseases, and provided opportunities to Mak students and staff to engage with communities. Activities included team building and networking, zoonotic diseases assessment among communities by community members and staff, design of appropriate intervention strategies and recommendations, and documentation of lessons learned. A trans-disciplinary community engagement approach was used in which students and faculty provided a service learning approach to control of zoonoses in the community. This is a sustainable approach because understanding the socio-cultural attributes of the pastoral communities of Karamoja allowed better community engagement and involvement in the control of zoonoses. Mak COVAB together with School of Public health under the support of USAID, AFENET, and in partnership with the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) conducted a training, Veterinary Cap (VETCAP), in 2013. The training focused on improving zoonotic diseases preparedness, response and management at high-risk (hotspots) areas, in districts where the viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks occurred. Participants included village health teams (VHTs), members of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) and community animal health workers (CAHWs). US Army experts, MS-IDM students from Mak COVAB and other students from school of public health facilitated the workshop. Five MS-IDM students from Uganda participated in implementation of a community engagement project on Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Arizona, in 2012, in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector borne Diseases, National Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Policy briefs on Rocky Mountain spotted fever were developed and shared with local government and policy makers, while lay reports were shared with local communities. Additional research findings from CIMTRADZ project activities are available at http://www.cvm.msstate.edu/academics/international-programs/2015-04-28-16-18-04

Joint sustainable development initiatives

Collaborative research and capacity building activities resulted in the development of major initiatives at ECA partner institutions that will contribute to long-term growth. At Mak, collaborative activities under CIMTRADZ resulted in the following institutional transformations: Restructuring of Mak Faculty of Veterinary Medicine into a College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB) to better align with issues of biosecurity and integrated disease management; Development of a multi-stakeholder platform - AFRISA (Africa Institute for Strategic Animal Resource Services and Development); an academic-community-public-private partnership [3]. Uganda National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) approved 11 commodity value chain (including livestock) degree programs, diplomas, and certificates offered by AFRISA in collaboration with Mak; Improved computer laboratories, 10 computers were purchased and installed; Development of a new online learning platform at Mak, MUSK - Makerere University System Knowledge, adopted and modified from that of MSU and Tufts University; Training of Mak ICT manager in technical skills on use of online systems; Launching of Higher Education Resource Services, East Africa (HERS-EA) for imparting leadership and management skills for women in higher education institutions in ECA [7]; Development of Regional University-Mediated Partnerships for Enhancing Livelihoods and Health in Africa (RUMPHELHA) [8] for advancing University mediated partnerships across Africa beyond 2015 when CIMTRADZ project ended.

Significant challenges faced and factors that contributed to success of project activities

Implementation of the CIMTRADZ project presented some challenges, including: insufficient infrastructure or resources at partner institutions (both US and Africa), inadequate institutional support (higher administration, trained personnel in international partnerships), and support for project personnel (resources, cost share, release time); frequent turnover of administrative leadership; delay in institutional review approvals from legal and regulatory structures governing research in different institutions - the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); and inefficient communication between all parties involved in the project - HED, African, and North American partners and cultural issues. Factors that contributed to the success of the project included: ability to work with interdisciplinary teams through One Health across several institutions; the consortium model - as each institution contributed different strengths to the project; long term relationships and networks created between U.S. and ECA institutions; professional development including Leadership Training and Cultural Sensitivity; institutional support (such as hiring additional personnel); and patience and maintaining a positive attitude as challenges were tackled.

Lessons learned and considerations for higher education institutions contemplating collaborative global health research activities

Several lessons were learned from implementing partnership activities. The following factors were key to success of the partnership: Long-term relationships and mutual respect of partners. Developing and fostering professional long-term relationships based on mutual respect of each partner was important in ensuring commitment and success; Training of project personnel at beginning of the project is important to ensure a clear understanding of expectations from all parties involved; Understanding the nature of host country ownership, leadership, and overall institutional support for collaborations, is crucial to assessing development challenges at the higher education institution and national levels; Commitment of staff and faculty members on both sides (U.S. and Africa partners) is necessary for success in accomplishing target objectives; Focus on a well-defined and mutually agreed upon problem-solving plan to develop institutional capacity and address national development challenges, while aligning with national strategic priorities; Open and effective communication (including face to face meetings) and ability to work with interdisciplinary teams (One Health) to address shared common goals and deliver desired results; The importance of developing well defined results framework and Monitoring & Evaluation plan to track progress toward targets, making necessary adjustments, mobilizing resources and staff, and communicating with stakeholders, including the funders; and Recognizing the value of synergistic activities with other institutions with similar goals. The partnership synergistic activities with various agencies such as USAID-EPT RESPOND and USDA-Foreign Animal Service (FAS) Borlaug Fellowship Program contributed to the success of the CIMTRADZ project.

Discussion     

There is an urgent need for higher education institutions to transform current teaching, learning, and collaborative research methods into those of a global nature as we look to the future [8]. International education has increasingly become part of a strategic national agenda for many countries in developing global relationships, economies, higher education systems or workforces [9]. As teaching and learning methods shift to a global context, it is important to assess what the impact on teaching and learning will be. Given the need for multi-disciplinary teams to solve complex problems, universities will need to enhance existing networks and relationships in order to achieve this goal. Over 60 percent of existing and emerging pathogens affecting humans originate in animals. Of those, 75 percent come from wildlife. These diseases create public health scares, can wipe out food sources and cause economic upheaval globally and locally, especially for farmers dependent on livestock for food and income [10]. The management of TADs and zoonoses such as avian influenza, rift valley fever, and tuberculosis is therefore a global challenge that needs urgent attention. The impact of TADs and zoonoses is far reaching. They can cause significant morbidity and mortalities in both animals and humans, lost labor productivity of humans due to illness; reduced travel and tourism to affected areas; reduced livestock and food production; and restrictions on and reductions in international trade [11]. Additionally there are negative effects on the social-economic wellbeing and livelihood of affected communities that appear more pronounced in developing countries, where food insecurity and poverty are major challenges.

Protecting the world from trans-boundary health threats demands a global perspective in investment in global animal and public health infrastructure [12]. In an effort to counter global challenges posed by TADs and zoonoses and other animal diseases, international and regional organizations have developed specific strategic approaches. The two main international agencies associated with animal health, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE, Office International des Epizooties) have a joint initiative, the Global Framework for Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) [10], which leverages the strengths of both organizations to empower countries and regional alliances in the fight against TADs, provide capacity building, and assist in the establishment of program strategies for the targeted control of certain TADs based on regional priorities [12]. The GF-TADs initiative provides support for the control of TADs, such as avian influenza, Foot and Mouth disease, African and classical swine fevers, Rift Valley fever, sheep and goat pox, among others [12]. CIMTRADZ project served as a major pillar for providing transformative education in Integrated Disease Management for TADs and zoonoses in ECA, and for providing the building blocks for other networks in the region. For instance, the ECA member institutions of AFRUS-IDM, which comprised mainly colleges of veterinary medicine, constituted the veterinary pillar of One Health Central and East Africa (OHCEA). The AFRUS-IDM network continues to grow strong and spearhead regional integration and socioeconomic development through cutting-edge training, research, and outreach, and has the potential to transform higher education institutions into development agents. In 2014 the network developed Regional University-Mediated Partnerships for Enhancing Livelihoods and Health in Africa (RUMPHELHA) [8], a continental mechanism for universities across Africa to work collaboratively with African governments and other institutions outside Africa to affect change that will enhance health and livelihoods of the people of Africa. With support, RUMPELHA provides one of the promising frameworks for delivering higher education led development in Africa.

Conclusion     

CIMTRADZ project led to significant institutional and human capacity development in both ECA and US institutions. Through CIMTRADZ, AFRUS-IDM contributed to socio-economic development in ECA host countries, and conducted joint research on TADs and Zoonoses that has been reported elsewhere. Human capacity building included training of over 30 MS-IDM degree graduates from ECA, and awarding of fellowships to an additional 10 MS and 5 PhD students. Partner institutions held five international conferences with several presentations and training workshops in Uganda during 2011-2015. The short-term trainings including faculty exchanges and the International Summer School, and workshops, benefitted over 500 individuals from ECA. Partnerships were developed with other synergist programs such as USAID-EPT program, which provided funding for training of additional beneficiaries. An MS degree in International Infectious Disease Management at Mak, and Tropical Veterinary Medicine and One Health study abroad course at MSSTATE were jointly developed. And finally CIMTRADZ collaborative activities reached over 20 communities in Uganda through community service learning (outreach) activities using a One Health approach.

Competing interests     

The authors declare no competing interest.

Authors´ contributions     

The primary author (Dr. Khaitsa) and Dr. Kabasa served as Partnership Directors, CIMTRADZ and Dr. Ekiri, Dr. Majalija and Dr. Tumwine served as CIMTRADZ Project Managers. All authors participated in CIMTRADZ project implementation, wrote the article, reviewed several drafts, and approved the version to be published.

Acknowledgments     

The authors wish to acknowledge faculty from several institutions that participated in CIMTRADZ. Funding for CIMTRADZ was provided by US Agency for International Development (USAID) through Higher Education for Development (HED).

Tables and figures     

Table 1: peer reviewed papers published or accepted for publication, resulting from CIMTRADZ project collaborative research activities

Table 2: abstracts presented at scientific meetings and conferences, resulting from CIMTRADZ project collaborative research activities

Figure 1: the Africa-US Integrated Disease Management network (AFRUS-IDM)

Figure 2: East and Central African countries where the “Capacity Building in Integrated Management of Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (CIMTRADZ)” project was located

Figure 3: integrated service learning for community engagement: traditionally, community interaction with higher education institutions and extension services is poor (blue arrows); integrated service learning strengthens the contact between higher education, extension, and private sectors (red arrows) with positive results for community development

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