Challenge
The One Risk program embraces the One Health approach to prevent and control health threats at the interface between production animals, wildlife and humans. Examples of such threats in Africa includes rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), cysticercosis, Ebola, trypanosomiasis, etc. Action toward addressing these threats should be guided by available evidence and requires cross-sector collaboration efforts – at national, regional and international levels.
Solution
One Risk is a capacity-building initiative in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) to strengthen assessments of health risks at the interface between production animals, wildlife and humans. The quantitative analysis of available surveillance data and risk modeling will inform the response to these risks. This program is free of cost to participants.
Funded by USDA-APHIS and supported by WOAH, and with an initial focus in West and Central Africa, One Risk’s goals are to:
- improve animal health and surveillance systems, including One Health systems; and promote safe and fair trade at the regional and international level;
- strengthen communication within and between countries and regions, and at international level; and
- foster regional collaboration & research.

What is One Risk?
Objectives

The One Risk capacity building framework aims to:
- Collaboratively identify and evaluate current disease surveillance data in production animals, and at the interface of wildlife and humans.
- Understand epidemiology and health risks connecting production animals, humans & wildlife.
- Improve disease surveillance and response capabilities while fostering regional and international trade in production animals and related commodities.
- Assess regional capabilities in disease surveillance, assessment, and response.
Regional scope and profile of participants

- The project will take place in West and Central Africa in 2024 and early 2025.
- It will involve participants ranging from management and strategic decision-makers to technical trainees, specializing in animal health, public health & zoonoses, and wildlife disease.
Activities & Summary of program timeline

The project aims to create and strengthen sustainable capacity in the West and Central Africa region, ensuring effective management of animal and public health issues and safety of trade of animals and their commodities through evidence-based policy and collaborative efforts.
- Application deadline:
- Individual applications: 5:00pm (GMT), March 22, 2024
- Team applications: 5:00pm (GMT), March 29, 2024
- Selection process completion: Mid April, 2024
- Online meetings: May, 2024
- In-person workshop (Dakar): June 10– 14, 2024
- Three-week online class: June 24 – July 19, 2024
- Mentored projects: July 2024 – Q1 2025
- Second in-person workshop (Côte d’Ivoire): March 5 & 6, 2025
Eligible Countries
West Africa:
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
Central Africa:
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Chad, São Tomé & Principe
Now closed to new applications
One Risk Mentored Projects
- Working in Cameroon, Senegal & Chad
- 5 Team Members
Anthrax is a priority disease identified by the One Health platform in Cameroon. This team is developing a predictive risk model for anthrax in cattle, incorporating climate and soil variables specific to the Far North region of Cameroon. The results will guide effective intervention policies for managing Anthrax outbreaks in the region.
- Working in Cameroon, Nigeria & Republic of Guinea
- 4 Team Members
Anthrax is a deadly disease affecting humans and animals, making it a key One Health issue in West and Central Africa. This team is using risk analysis to forecast anthrax outbreaks in Nigerian livestock based on key disease drivers such as cattle movements and environmental factors such as rainfall and type of soil. Through this project, the team aims to support timely resource allocation for prevention and surveillance, ultimately reducing the impact of anthrax on animal and human health.
- Working in D.R. Congo, Senegal & Burkina Faso
- 5 Team Members
This team is estimating the risk of exposure to antimicrobial residues resulting from the consumption of poultry meat and eggs among residents of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. The results will raise awareness on this One Health issue and highlight the need for better enforcement of recommendations and regulations on antibiotic use in poultry production.
- Working in West & Central Africa
- 5 Team Members
Avian influenza is a serious infectious disease that affects birds and humans. An important tool to control AI is to identify outbreaks in poultry farms and live bird markets and humanely depopulate potentially exposed animals. This requires both diagnostic capabilities, and monetary resources to indemnify farmers with depopulated flocks. This project is using a variety of surveillance and demographic data to predict the future number of depopulated animals and their indemnification costs in Côte d’Ivoire . The predictions will help the Côte d’Ivoire government to plan for sufficient funds to indemnify farmers in a timely fashion, improving the willingness to report of cases, subsequently reducing disease spread among avian and human populations.
- Working in Cabo Verde
- 5 Team Members
- Award - best mid-term presentation
This project team is modeling the confidence that Cape Verde’s ruminants are free from brucellosis, following Article 8.4.4. of WOAH’s Terrestrial Code. The analysis accounts for the country’s surveillance data and diagnostic test limitations. The team’s findings will provide valuable insights for the country’s brucellosis surveillance and eradication strategies.
- Working in West & Central Africa
- 5 Team Members
- award - best mid-term presentation
This team investigates the risk of exposure to cysticercosis via pork consumption in Benin, where pork is widely consumed. The team aims to raise awareness on this neglected zoonosis and provide recommendations to support national policy on enhanced cysticercosis prevention and surveillance, both in animal and human populations.
- Working in Ghana & Nigeria
- 6 Team Members
Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), commonly known as Sheep and Goat Plague, is a highly contagious viral disease (closely related to the measles virus) that primarily affects small ruminants such as sheep and goats. PPR is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. It is considered one of the most significant viral diseases affecting small livestock in the region, with outbreaks often leading to severe economic losses. This team is using risk modeling to quantify how vaccination coverage affects the risk of outbreaks of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Ghana’s border provinces. Their findings will contribute to evaluating alternative strategies, including vaccination, to reduce the impact of importing unvaccinated animals from neighboring countries. This work supports Ghana’s progress toward PPR eradication.
- Working in D.R. Congo & Chad
- 5 Team Members
Rabies is a fatal viral disease that affects both humans and animals, primarily transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal (most commonly dogs). In many parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), dogs are common household animals, and the dog population is often unvaccinated, leading to high rates of rabies transmission. This team is developing a risk model to estimate dog bites and human deaths due to rabies in the Tshangu district of the capital, Kinshasa. These estimates will be compared with local surveillance data on dog bites and human rabies, which will yield important insights to inform and improve rabies surveillance and control policies in the country.
- Working in Nigeria & Ghana
- 5 Team Members
- Award - best mid-term presentation
This team is assessing rabies exposure risk among people who handle dogs in Ghana and Nigeria. Among others, their risk model considers rabies prevalence, rate of bite exposures, and use of pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) This work aims to promote awareness, training and access to protective equipment and PEP.
- Working in Senegal
- 4 Team Members
African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) was one of the main disease-related constraints to the development of more productive livestock production systems in the Niayes region of Senegal. After a phased eradication effort, the Niayes region of Senegal was declared free of Trypanosomiasis in 2018, but the risk of reintroduction of the disease in the region remains unknown. This team is developing a model to quantify the risk of re-introduction of Trypanosomiasis in the region by combining data on cattle movements and trypanosomiasis prevalence, and environmental suitability for the flies. This work will help prioritize surveillance measures to help keep the Niayes region free of this disease.

One Risk participants gathered together at the inaugural 4-day workshop held in Dakar, June 2024.
Project supported by
This project is made possible through a contribution of USDA-APHIS, in collaboration with WOAH.


Sustainable Development Goals
This project contributes to several of UN’s sustainable development goals
