Recipient Organization
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
200 WESTBORO ROAD
N. GRAFTON,MA 01536
Performing Department
Infectious Disease and Global Health
Non Technical Summary
USAID has awarded a five-year cooperative agreement to a coalition of technical resources including Development Alternatives, Inc., University of Minnesota, Tufts University, Training and Resources Group, and Ecology and Environment, Inc. to strengthen the human capacity of countries to identify and respond to outbreaks of newly emergent diseases in a timely and sustainable manner. This project will focus on the development of outbreak investigation and response training that merges animal and human health dynamics into a comprehensive capacity for disease detection and control. This agreement builds on over 30 years of USAID experience in building long-term capacities in health training through twinning U.S. and local academic institutions.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
RESPOND is part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats Program (EPT). The focus of the EPT program is to pre-empt or combat at their source, newly emerging diseases of animal origin that could threaten human health. The RESPOND project is one of five projects within the EPT program and has four objectives: 1. Improve the training capacity within priority countries and regions for skills necessary to respond to any suspected outbreaks of emergent epizoonotic diseases that pose a serious threat to human health; 2. Improve the linkages among animal and human health organizations in responding to outbreaks of emerging zoonotic diseases of potential public health impact; 3. Improve the capacity of countries and regions to conduct investigations of suspected outbreaks of emergent epizoonotic diseases that pose a serious threat to human health; and 4. Introduce technologies to improve the capability of field epidemiologists to conduct surveillance and outbreak investigations. RESPOND will strengthen the human capacity of priority countries to identify and respond to outbreaks of newly emergent diseases in a timely and sustainable manner. This project will to focus on the development of outbreak investigation and response training that merges animal and human health dynamics into a comprehensive approach for disease detection and control.
Project Methods
The EPT program is a comprehensive and interconnected intervention package that will be implemented through five projects that will work together to provide technical assistance and expertise in the field. The five projects cover: planning (PREPARE), surveillance (PREDICT), laboratory (IDENTIFY), response (RESPOND) and Communication and Behavior Change (PREVENT). USAID has awarded a five-year cooperative agreement for the RESPOND project to a coalition of technical resources including DAI Inc., University of Minnesota, Tufts University, Training Resources Group and Ecology and Environment Inc. The RESPOND project will reinforce existing components of public health services by developing a wide range of professionals with multidisciplinary training and experience in animal and human health disease prevention and control, while simultaneously strengthening the local partner institutions that will take over the training and employ the trainees. The RESPOND team will build on existing relationships with partner universities located in priority countries through faculty exchanges, joint degree programs, and workshops on administration and university operations to establish ties that will last long after the program ends. The project will promote the development of appropriate career paths for the integration of graduates from all training levels into key institutions (e.g. government ministries, national universities and private sector organizations) involved in addressing zoonotic diseases and broader public health problems. The RESPOND team will provide mentoring at both the individual and faculty levels through regular workshops and field drills, ultimately passing this responsibility to local faculty.