Submission ID 131719
| Issue/Objective | In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), recurrent epidemics and emerging zoonotic threats continue to expose fragmentation between human and animal health systems. To move One Health from principle to practice, a national initiative supported collaboration between biomedical and veterinary laboratories in Kinshasa, Goma, and Lubumbashi through structured laboratory twinning, joint problem-solving, and implementation review workshops. |
|---|---|
| Methodology/Approach | In November 2024, three two-day multisectoral workshops were conducted with approximately ten participants per institution, bringing together paired laboratories from the human and veterinary sectors. The process reviewed progress under signed collaboration frameworks, validated bottlenecks identified through prior online brainstorming, documented activities already implemented, and co-developed context-specific corrective actions across eight operational domains: quality assurance, diagnosis, training, logistics, research, surveillance, production, and communication. |
| Results | The workshops showed that One Health laboratory collaboration is feasible and already generating measurable operational value. Across sites, participants reported joint outbreak investigations, cross-testing of animal and human samples, data sharing, molecular analyses, shared training platforms, maintenance support, and collaborative work on mpox, influenza, rabies, anthrax, Rift Valley fever, antimicrobial resistance, and Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever. However, implementation remained constrained by weak procedures, limited formal data-sharing arrangements, insufficient planning, funding gaps, low awareness among staff, and inadequate follow-up mechanisms. In response, participants prioritized standardized procedures, formal coordination structures, clearer legal and data-sharing instruments, joint planning, and quarterly monitoring teams. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | This DRC experience provides a practical and scalable model for translating One Health evidence into implementation. By focusing on accountability, institutional coordination, and routine co-production across sectors, laboratory twinning can strengthen resilient health systems in resource-constrained settings and accelerate preparedness for epidemic threats. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Bibiche Kapinga National Institute for Biomedical Research Soledad Colombe ITM/Antwerp Jean Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum National Institute for Biomedical Research Justin MASUMU National Institute for Biomedical Research |
