Partner 18: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Role, qualification and experience
The Department of Veterinary medicine and Public Health at Sokoine university of Agriculture, has a section responsible with teaching and research in the field of public health, which includes zoonoses. This section has four members of staff with a support of four laboratory technicians and two field staff.
The section has been involved in a number of research projects regarding zoonotic diseases. However, the major strength is on Bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, Cysticercosis, Rabies, and Campylobacteriosis. The Department has a long standing collaboration with the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh in research on Bovine tuberculosis, Brucellosis and Rabies. While work in porcine cysticercosis has jointly been done with Dept. of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Our department is involved in creation of subject specialist networks in field of zoonoses. We are engaged in Bovine tuberculosis network for Africa (Prof. Rudovick Kazwala), and in the Cysticercosis Working Group in Eastern and Southern Africa (Dr. Helena Ngowi) which has been promoting communication, collaboration and coordination of integrated research and control activities to combat cysticercosis in that region. Apart from the subject specialist groups, the department is hosting a section on zoonosis in the Norwegian Government funded NUFU Collaborative research in environmental toxicology and zoonotic diseases in the Human – Domestic animal – Wildlife interface areas of Eastern and Southern Africa – A South-North Veterinary Network. Within this network staff in our department are providing supervisory and mentoring to young scientists pursing PhD. Over the last 10 year our department has produced over 5 PhD and 14 Masters students working in the field of zoonoses and realated fields. There are over 50 peer-reviewed publications among the researchers in the Section of Veterinary Public Health in the department.
Scientific leader
Prof. R.R. Kazwala, BVSc, MVM, PhD is Professor in Veterinary Public Health. Coordinator of Bovine Tuberculosis Network for Africa and Coordinator for Zoonoses section of NUFU Collaborative research in environmental toxicology and zoonotic diseases in the Human – Domestic animal – Wildlife interface areas of Eastern and Southern Africa – A South-North Veterinary Network. Expert on molecular epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis with > 50 international publications.
Key personnel
Dr. Helena Ngowi, BVM, MVM, PhD is a lecturer in Veterinary Public Health, Secretary of the Cysticercosis Working Group in Eastern and Southern Africa, with about 10-years experience in working with various rural communities in research and control of zoonotic diseases, and with more than 10 peer-reviewed publications mainly on the epidemiology and control of important zoonoses. She is experienced with the development and application of various health extension materials including pamphlets, radio and video programmes for control of public-health problems.