Sustainable One Health Research Training Capacity: Molecular Epidemiology of Zoonotic Foodborne and Waterborne Pathogens in Eastern Africa

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We propose to strengthen and sustain our international Research Training Program shared between The Ohio State University and Institutes of Higher Learning in East Africa. Expanding the successes in the first cycle, the long-term goal of this program is to establish sustainable research and training capacity for zoonotic infectious diseases research in eastern Africa. The specific mission of the proposed program is to train the future researchers and trainers using an integrated multi-disciplinary "One Health" approach. The ultimate goal is to establish sustainable critical mass of capable scientists that can effectively conduct research on zoonotic diseases and implement prevention and control systems. The main targets of the proposed program are four eastern African academic institutes (University of Gondar and Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; University of Nairobi, Kenya and Sokoine University, Tanzania). Food-, water-, and vector-borne infectious diseases such as invasive salmonellosis, animal-borne tuberculosis, viral food/waterborne pathogen and vector-borne diseases are major global public health concerns with a high morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the research training capacities in the region remain extremely weak. In the current cycle, we made key transformations to increase the success of our program including: 1) revamped priorities including water-borne and vector-borne diseases such; 2) refined discipline areas are now more targeted and measureable such as rapid diagnostic development, antimicrobial resistance and genomics; 3) integrated electronic and digital approaches for research and training to maximize the impact of our program and 4) emphasized scientific leadership and implementation science, to maximize impact and sustain results. This research training program will be conducted using two Tracks: Track 1 is a sandwich format pre­-doctoral training for PhD and MSc. Trainees will have ample opportunities at OSU leveraged with research areas including rotavirus, salmonellosis, tuberculosis and Leishmaniasis. Track 2 will involve a short-term training that will target laboratory technologists. This research training program also will strengthen intra-regional collaboration among scientists including veterinarians, physicians and environmental health scientists to effectively address zoonotic diseases.