Paper presented at the Epidemiology symposium in 2011 in Peradeniya Sri Lanka

1. Challenges, experience and possible interventions in
mainstreaming one health within state sponsored
animal health sector in Sri Lanka from developing
country perspective
Tikiri Wijayathilaka
International Conference on Applied Epidemiology
POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE (PGIS)
University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
March 3, 2011

2. Background
• DAPH - established September 1978
• Within the scope - eight objectives identified
• “Provide animal health services (both preventive
and curative) indicated as the first
• Animal health activates - implemented under
Animal Health and Extension Division
• Legal provisions - Animal Diseases Act No 59/92
• AIPRP – TF 091200 – Resource base for
strengthening AH Sector capacity (2008 – 2011)

3. Expected outcome
AH Sector
Capacity
building
One
Health
Networking
Developing
interest group
forums

4. Objectives of the paper
• Describe relevant challenges identified
• Sharing experience in relation to
interventions
• Presenting proposals for possibilities to
overcome some identified challenges

5. Methods
• Literature review
• Compare organizational structures of
DAPH with identified needs in literature
• Non structured discussions carried out at
the field training
• Post evaluation feedbacks of training &
awareness programs

6. What is Veterinary Public Health
• WHO - identified as the component of public
health devoted to the application of professional
veterinary skills, knowledge and resources to
protect and improvement of human health
• WHO consultation on “future trends in VPH”
Teramo Italy-1999 , defined as “the sum of all
contributions to the physical, mental and social
wellbeing of humans through an understanding
and application of veterinary science”

7. Expected role of veterinarian in
public health and food safety
• As per WHO - core domains of - veterinary
public health
– zoonoses - diagnosis, surveillance, control
and prevention
– food protection
– management of health aspects of laboratory
animal facilities
– health education and extension
– production and control of biological products
and medical devices

8. Role of veterinary services in food
safety
• As per OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code
– implementation of risk based recommendation for
regulatory systems – assure food safety & quality (as
SPS agreement)
– early detection, surveillance and treatment of animal
diseases including conditions of pubic health
– minimizing the risk of developing antimicrobial
resistance and unsafe levels of veterinary drug
residues
– ensure effective implementation of ante-mortem and
post-mortem inspection procedures

9. Role of veterinary services in food
safety cont.
• As per OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code
– animal identification and animal traceability systems
– ensuring health certification for international trade
complies with the animal health and food safety
standards
– foods contamination with zoonotic agents investigating outbreaks - remedial measures
– creating awareness within producers - assuring food
safety

10. Challenges
• Inadequacy of organizational
arrangements responsible for VPH issues
within DAPH
• Deficiency of trained manpower in the
discipline of epidemiology within AH sector
• Non existence of higher educational
opportunities for epidemiology within the
country

11. Challenges cont.
• Inadequacy of institutionalized joint
technical efforts for handling zoonotic
diseases at peripheral levels
• Inadequate responsiveness to field calls
from the centre
• Inadequate diagnostic facilities for
suspected conditions at field level

12. Interventions within the scope
• Bridging the gap of manpower deficiency
• Assist in creating in country opportunities
for higher education
• Assist in developing peripheral joint
forums for zoonotic disease handling
• Enhancing regional & central capability of
diagnosis
• Enhancing stakeholder awareness

13. Results of interventions
Manpower
development
Assistance
to develop
joint forums
Enhancing
stakeholder
awareness
49 locally
qualified
professionals in
Epidemiology
Educational
Opportunities
Applied
Epidemiology
Course at
PGIS
Country wide joint
awareness
programs
HPAI – 21 prog.
TTE – 11 prog.
Enhancing
Lab.
capacity
Establishing
2 VIC
Refurbishing
2 Labs - VRI
Refurbish 3
training centers
Refurbish 1
audio visual unit
Awareness prog.
Networking
with relevant
stakeholders
MoH
DMC
DWLC

14. Course in Applied Epidemiology
• First in Sri Lanka
• Planning since mid
2009
• Launching on January
23, 2010
• With 28 Veterinary
Graduates
• Assistance – DAPH,
MoH, PGIS, FoM,
FVM&AS, World Bank

15. Creating interest group forums
• Sri Lanka Epidemiology
Association for One Health
• Established on February 14,
2010
• Cluster initiated with
Sri Lanka
Epidemiology
Association for
One Health
– Participants of App. Epid. Course
– Members of Teaching panel
– MPH/MVM participants
• Represent medical &
veterinary professions

16. Objectives
• Creating a forum to practice the discipline with a
unique identify
• Assist in advancement of the discipline
• Creating an environment for the young epidemiology
professionals to develop the capacity
• Assist state agencies in mainstreaming “One Health”
• Develop a forum to discuss issues in zoonotic disease
handling and program development
• Develop communication method for a wider group –
local and overseas – “South Asian Journal of
Epidemiology”

17. What needs to be done
• Bringing resources together
• Institutionalize what operates in informal
ways
• Rational re-organization
• Necessary reforms to the existing laws
and regulations

18. Rational re-organization
• Possibilities for short term interventions
– Incorporate zoonotic disease control, food
safety, health education, emergency response
to present mechanism
– Linking regional laboratory network with
central lab and elevate capacity
– Affiliate already developed epidemiology
group to regional laboratory network

19. Rational re-organization

20. Rational re-organization

21. SWAT on CVIC - VRI
Strengths
 Availability of trained manpower
 Availability of modern equipment
 Availability of diagnostic methods for
important disease
 Recently improved infrastructure
 Existance of connectivity
 Already established links with regional
investigation laboratories
Opportunities
 Interest of DAPH, Ministry and
development partners in
mainstreaming one health
 Recommendations of OIE PVS report
related to public health
 Interest of development partners in
investing on one health related
activities
Weaknesses
Threats
 Not an accredited laboratory to
 Possible delays in administrative
function as a reference laboratory
procedures
 Non existance of species identification  Risk of non recognizing the
facilities for meat
importance of intervention
 Deficiencies in waste disposal system
 Deficiencies in biosecurity standards

22. Are we there ?
AH Sector
Capacity
building
One
Health
Networking
Developing
interest group
forums

23. Acknowledgement
My family
My Superiors – Former DG/DAPH, Present DG/DAPH, D/HRD
Dr. SLA Daniel, Dr. Sarath Arambawela
World Bank, AHI Trust Fund, Massey University
AIPRP Project Team
DAPH, Epid Unit, PGIS, FoM – Community Medicine, FVMAS
My friends
Thanks for all of you for
listening to me