The Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa is a consortium of researchers from 20 institutions in Africa, Europe and America undertaking a major ESPA-funded programme to advance understanding of the connections between disease and environment in Africa. Our focus is animal-to-human disease transmission and our objective is to help move people out of poverty and promote social justice.
They have published the following resources:
1. Seven working papers consider understandings around ecosystems and health as they relate to four zoonoses in five countries in Africa (henipavirus infection in Ghana, Rift Valley fever in Kenya, Lassa fever in Sierra Leone and trypanosomiasis in Zambia and Zimbabwe):
- The political economy of One Health research and policy by Victor Galaz, Melissa Leach, Ian Scoones and Christian Stein
- Towards One Health? Evolution of international collaboration networks on Nipah virus research from 1999-2011 by Sophie Valeix
- The politics of trypanosomiasis control in Africa by Ian Scoones
- Politics of knowledge: Whose knowledge matters in trypanosomiasis policy making in Zambia by Catherine Grant
- Responding to uncertainty: Bats and the construction of disease risk in Ghana by Linda Waldman, Audrey Gadzekpo and Hayley MacGregor
- Lassa fever: The politics of an emerging disease and the scope for One Health by Annie Wilkinson
- Rift Valley fever in Kenya: Policies to prepare and respond by Erik Millston, Hannington Odame and Oscar Okumu
For more information see: http://steps-centre.org/publication/dddac-pol-econ-wp-series/?referralDomain=working-paper
2. Disease Scenarios Africa
This website considers various scenarios under which four zoonotic diseases (Henipavirus infection, Lassa Fever, Rift Valley Fever (RVF) and Trypanosomiasis) might emerge and spread in five African countries.
The scenarios studied by researchers from the Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium were developed by the Stockholm Resilience Centre. They are not projections. Rather, they are plausible stories and illustrate what might happen based on given assumptions in the chosen settings.
They can be used to:
- Identify a range of possible futures.
- Improve the understanding of and start discussion about a desirable future.
- Help decision-makers and communities take action to create a more resilient society.
The scenarios can be found at: http://www.diseasescenarios.org/scenarios.html