Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?

Zoonotic diseases will maintain a high level of public policy attention in the coming decades. From the spectre of a global pandemic to anxieties over agricultural change, urbanization, social inequality and threats to natural ecosystems, effectively preparing and responding to endemic and emerging...

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Autores principales: Bardosh, K.L., Scoones, J.C., Grace, Delia, Kalema-Zikusoka, G., Jones, K.E., Balogh, K. de, Waltner-Toews, D., Bett, Bernard K., Welburn, S.C., Mumford, E., Dzingirai, V.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Royal Society 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81467
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author Bardosh, K.L.
Scoones, J.C.
Grace, Delia
Kalema-Zikusoka, G.
Jones, K.E.
Balogh, K. de
Waltner-Toews, D.
Bett, Bernard K.
Welburn, S.C.
Mumford, E.
Dzingirai, V.
author_browse Balogh, K. de
Bardosh, K.L.
Bett, Bernard K.
Dzingirai, V.
Grace, Delia
Jones, K.E.
Kalema-Zikusoka, G.
Mumford, E.
Scoones, J.C.
Waltner-Toews, D.
Welburn, S.C.
author_facet Bardosh, K.L.
Scoones, J.C.
Grace, Delia
Kalema-Zikusoka, G.
Jones, K.E.
Balogh, K. de
Waltner-Toews, D.
Bett, Bernard K.
Welburn, S.C.
Mumford, E.
Dzingirai, V.
author_sort Bardosh, K.L.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Zoonotic diseases will maintain a high level of public policy attention in the coming decades. From the spectre of a global pandemic to anxieties over agricultural change, urbanization, social inequality and threats to natural ecosystems, effectively preparing and responding to endemic and emerging diseases will require technological, institutional and social innovation. Much current discussion emphasizes the need for a ‘One Health’ approach: bridging disciplines and sectors to tackle these complex dynamics. However, as attention has increased, so too has an appreciation of the practical challenges in linking multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral research with policy, action and impact. In this commentary paper, we reflect on these issues with particular reference to the African sub-continent. We structure the themes of our analysis on the existing literature, expert opinion and 11 interviews with leading One Health scholars and practitioners, conducted at an international symposium in 2016. We highlight a variety of challenges in research and knowledge production, in the difficult terrain of implementation and outreach, and in the politicized nature of decision-making and priority setting. We then turn our attention to a number of strategies that might help reconfigure current pathways and accepted norms of practice. These include: (i) challenging scientific expertise; (ii) strengthening national multi-sectoral coordination; (iii) building on what works; and (iv) re-framing policy narratives. We argue that bridging the research-policy-action interface in Africa, and better connecting zoonoses, ecosystems and well-being in the twenty-first century, will ultimately require greater attention to the democratization of science and public policy. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.
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spelling CGSpace814672024-01-17T12:58:34Z Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa? Bardosh, K.L. Scoones, J.C. Grace, Delia Kalema-Zikusoka, G. Jones, K.E. Balogh, K. de Waltner-Toews, D. Bett, Bernard K. Welburn, S.C. Mumford, E. Dzingirai, V. epidemiology health zoonoses Zoonotic diseases will maintain a high level of public policy attention in the coming decades. From the spectre of a global pandemic to anxieties over agricultural change, urbanization, social inequality and threats to natural ecosystems, effectively preparing and responding to endemic and emerging diseases will require technological, institutional and social innovation. Much current discussion emphasizes the need for a ‘One Health’ approach: bridging disciplines and sectors to tackle these complex dynamics. However, as attention has increased, so too has an appreciation of the practical challenges in linking multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral research with policy, action and impact. In this commentary paper, we reflect on these issues with particular reference to the African sub-continent. We structure the themes of our analysis on the existing literature, expert opinion and 11 interviews with leading One Health scholars and practitioners, conducted at an international symposium in 2016. We highlight a variety of challenges in research and knowledge production, in the difficult terrain of implementation and outreach, and in the politicized nature of decision-making and priority setting. We then turn our attention to a number of strategies that might help reconfigure current pathways and accepted norms of practice. These include: (i) challenging scientific expertise; (ii) strengthening national multi-sectoral coordination; (iii) building on what works; and (iv) re-framing policy narratives. We argue that bridging the research-policy-action interface in Africa, and better connecting zoonoses, ecosystems and well-being in the twenty-first century, will ultimately require greater attention to the democratization of science and public policy. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’. 2017-07-19 2017-06-07T07:26:02Z 2017-06-07T07:26:02Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81467 en Open Access Royal Society Bardosh, K.L., Scoones, J.C., Grace, D., Kalema-Zikusoka, G., Jones, K.E., Balogh, K. de, Waltner-Toews, D., Bett, B., Welburn, S.C., Mumford, E. and Dzingirai, V. 2017. Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa? Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 372(1725): 20160172.
spellingShingle epidemiology
health
zoonoses
Bardosh, K.L.
Scoones, J.C.
Grace, Delia
Kalema-Zikusoka, G.
Jones, K.E.
Balogh, K. de
Waltner-Toews, D.
Bett, Bernard K.
Welburn, S.C.
Mumford, E.
Dzingirai, V.
Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?
title Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?
title_full Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?
title_fullStr Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?
title_full_unstemmed Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?
title_short Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?
title_sort engaging research with policy and action what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in africa
topic epidemiology
health
zoonoses
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81467
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