Scholarlink

Background and methods <p>Animal health surveillance is essential for early disease detection, outbreak response, and the prevention of zoonoses. In June 2024, Malawi conducted its first national assessment of its animal health surveillance system using the FAO Surveillance Evaluation Tool (SET), specifically the 2024 SET Evaluation Guide, version 2 to evaluate institutional, operational, and technical capacities. A participatory assessment was undertaken by experts from the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development (DAHLD) and FAO, involving document reviews, stakeholder interviews, and site visits in seven districts. The SET was used to score 96 indicators across various domains on a scale of 1 (no capacity) to 4 (advanced).</p> Results <p>The results indicated low overall performance. The weakest domains were active surveillance (5%), internal communication (12.6%), and risk assessment (16.7%). Relative strengths were observed in external communication (50%) and information systems (44.3%), though these were still below optimal levels. The system suffers from significant workforce shortages, with approximately 33% of officer positions vacant, placing a heavy burden on inadequately resourced community-based assistants. Laboratory capacity was found to be centralized and limited, with regional laboratories offering only basic diagnostic services. Data management is predominantly paper-based, and formal risk-based surveillance plans and feedback mechanisms are lacking.</p> Conclusion and recommendations <p>In conclusion, while Malawi’s animal health surveillance system has an established institutional framework, it is weakly structured and inconsistently operationalized. This is characterized by limited proactive surveillance, significant workforce gaps, under-resourced laboratory diagnostics, and fragmented data and communication channels. Nonetheless, a foundation for improvement exists, including legal provisions, a dedicated Epidemiology Unit within DAHLD, and a tiered surveillance workforce. Prioritized recommendations include developing and operationalizing a national surveillance strategy, strengthening laboratory and data systems, addressing critical workforce gaps, and integrating animal health surveillance into broader One Health and emergency preparedness frameworks.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Assessing Malawi’s animal health surveillance system using the FAO surveillance evaluation tool: gaps, strengths, and opportunities for one health resilience

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月30日

查看全文
  • Yusuf Mtila,
  • Stewart Chikomola,
  • Eric Kazadi Kawaya,
  • Thoko Kapalamula,
  • Sabenzia Wekesa,
  • Fredrick Kivaria,
  • Gladson Kamwendo,
  • Julius Chulu,
  • Marvin Phonera,
  • Upile Kachepa,
  • Edwin Nkhulungo,
  • Michael Luwe,
  • Peter Mwale,
  • Gisella De Oliveira Dias Da Silva,
  • Henson Kainga,
  • Ihab El Masry

摘要

Background and methods

Animal health surveillance is essential for early disease detection, outbreak response, and the prevention of zoonoses. In June 2024, Malawi conducted its first national assessment of its animal health surveillance system using the FAO Surveillance Evaluation Tool (SET), specifically the 2024 SET Evaluation Guide, version 2 to evaluate institutional, operational, and technical capacities. A participatory assessment was undertaken by experts from the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development (DAHLD) and FAO, involving document reviews, stakeholder interviews, and site visits in seven districts. The SET was used to score 96 indicators across various domains on a scale of 1 (no capacity) to 4 (advanced).

Results

The results indicated low overall performance. The weakest domains were active surveillance (5%), internal communication (12.6%), and risk assessment (16.7%). Relative strengths were observed in external communication (50%) and information systems (44.3%), though these were still below optimal levels. The system suffers from significant workforce shortages, with approximately 33% of officer positions vacant, placing a heavy burden on inadequately resourced community-based assistants. Laboratory capacity was found to be centralized and limited, with regional laboratories offering only basic diagnostic services. Data management is predominantly paper-based, and formal risk-based surveillance plans and feedback mechanisms are lacking.

Conclusion and recommendations

In conclusion, while Malawi’s animal health surveillance system has an established institutional framework, it is weakly structured and inconsistently operationalized. This is characterized by limited proactive surveillance, significant workforce gaps, under-resourced laboratory diagnostics, and fragmented data and communication channels. Nonetheless, a foundation for improvement exists, including legal provisions, a dedicated Epidemiology Unit within DAHLD, and a tiered surveillance workforce. Prioritized recommendations include developing and operationalizing a national surveillance strategy, strengthening laboratory and data systems, addressing critical workforce gaps, and integrating animal health surveillance into broader One Health and emergency preparedness frameworks.