Group photo of participants during the workshop. ©FAO

FAO Leads Multisectoral rabies tabletop simulation exercise in Kigoma region Tanzania using the One Health Approach

12 August 2024, Kigoma- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), conducted a Tabletop Simulation Exercise (TTX) focused on rabies in Kigoma Region from 29 to 31 July 2024. This exercise, conducted in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office – One Health Section, utilized a One Health approach to evaluate and strengthen the region’s operational readiness in response to the need for improved preparedness and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks. 

Tanzania has experienced several public health emergencies, including Rift Valley fever, anthrax, rabies, and many others. Although experience and preparedness have improved over time, there remains a need to test and enhance the country's response capabilities, particularly for zoonotic diseases. The TTX aimed to address these needs by evaluating current practices, identifying gaps, and proposing key interventions.

The initiative convened 29 experts from animal, public, wildlife, and environmental health sectors, including representatives from government ministries, local authorities, and Sokoine University of Agriculture. The participants engaged in simulated scenarios to test and refine national emergency preparedness and response plans, focusing on strengths and weaknesses within the One Health framework.

FAO’s ECTAD Country Team Leader in Tanzania, Dr. Stella Kiambi, underscored the value of such exercises, stating, “This tabletop simulation is vital for evaluating our capacity to respond to public health emergencies within the One Health framework, particularly in a world where diseases can swiftly cross borders, as evidenced by Ebola and COVID-19.”

Challenges and Recommendations:

During the exercise, participants identified several key challenges: insufficient funding, limited staffing in the animal health sector, inadequate emergency preparedness resources, and high costs for rabies vaccines and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

The exercise yielded several key recommendations to enhance Kigoma's response capabilities. Integrating regional levels into the animal health reporting system was identified as essential for improving data flow and coordination.

Subsidizing the costs of rabies vaccines and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in Kigoma would make these vital resources more accessible. Expanding the digital reporting system for animal health to cover all districts was deemed necessary for better monitoring and response. Increasing public awareness of rabies prevention and control was also highlighted as a critical step. Lastly, participants recommended supporting additional simulation exercises to continually test and improve emergency preparedness.

Contact :

Alice Maro

National Communication Consultant

FAO Tanzania

Email: [email protected]  

Yanira Santana

Emergency Reporting and Outreach Specialist

Bureau FAO ECTAD Africa

Email: [email protected]