Over forty specialists met on February 16, 2026, at the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Kinshasa to strengthen multisectoral coordination in response to emerging and re-emerging diseases. The workshop, organized by the DOPERAUS project of the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) with support from IDRC/Canada, aims to improve integrated management of health risks at the Human-Animal-Environment-Plant interface.
In Kinshasa, challenges linked to emerging and re-emerging diseases highlight the persistent gaps in coordination between human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors. In a country marked by exceptional biodiversity and complex ecosystems, the close interaction between human populations, wildlife, livestock, and the natural environment creates favorable conditions for the spread of diseases such as Ebola virus disease, monkeypox, rabies, avian influenza, and malaria. These interactions underscore the need for an integrated approach that combines diverse expertise to prevent and contain epidemics.
It is in this context that a capacity-building workshop was held on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Kinshasa. Over forty specialists gathered to exchange strategies for managing diseases at the “Human-Animal-Environment-Plant” interface, a concept that reflects the ambition for coordinated surveillance and response aligned with local realities and regional health priorities.
The initiative is led by the “Decentralize and Operationalize One Health Platforms” (DOPERAUS) project of the INRB, with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC/Canada). According to the organizers, the session aims to strengthen the technical and operational capacities of actors involved in preventing and managing health risks in Kinshasa, based on the principles of the “One Health” approach. Participants emphasized that the effectiveness of this approach depends not only on intersectoral collaboration but also on community awareness and the establishment of sustainable surveillance mechanisms. In a context where epidemics recur and densely populated urban areas increase population vulnerability, consolidating “One Health” platforms appears as a crucial lever to anticipate and mitigate the health and economic impacts of emerging diseases.
By Kilalopress