International Extension and Research

Although the share of milk production in the area is the largest in the country due to improved genetic resources of cattle, favorable climate, and the history of development efforts, current production is far lower than the potential ability. The reason for the low production is that there is insufficiency of inputs such as suitable feed plan and biosecurity measures, due to lack of technical extension service and thus knowledge among farmers.

Rakuno Gakuen University, the previous JICA project operated in Uganda between 2010 and 2014, and dairy farmers in Mbarara identified three main key animal health problems: (1) dairy hygiene, (2) ketosis and repeat breeding, and (3) tick borne diseases in February 2015, although brucellosis was another great concern.

The change in awareness of the problems and importance of record keeping is already observed among participating farmers. UCCCU will play an important role in diffusing this evidence-based dairy development regimen from 30 participating farmers to more farmers in the district, and beyond to entire country. Extension officers of UCCCU and district veterinary officers will be trained by this project for sustainable dairy development in Uganda.

Rakuno Gakuen University (RGU) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement for the project improving safe dairy production in Uganda on 21st August 2019.
This project was developed to enhance the diffusion of the dairy techniques which achieved 20% increase of dairy productivity in 30 dairy farms in the ‘Safe Milk Promotion in Mbarara Project’ operated between 2016 and 2019, to wider areas, and to improve dairy production further. Dairy industry in Uganda not only provides nutrition to the population, but also is an important export industry. RGU sends the students, graduate students, alumni, academic and support staff to Uganda for this project as Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JICA/JOCV).
Initially, dispatch of JICA/JOCV was planned to be in 2020. However, due to the pandemic of COVID-19, the training and dispatch had been postponed. Recently the program resumed, and in January 2022, a veterinary volunteer, Dr. Taku Shimada, and in March 2022, an animal husbandry volunteer Ms. Momoko Watanabe, started the activities in Mbarara District Veterinary Office.

Activity report

• Taku Shimada 24th May, 2023
• Taku Shimada 25th October, 2022
• Taku Shimada 8th March, 2022

Co-designing Neglected Zoonosis Intervention through One Health, Education, and Public-private Partnership (OHEPP-SATREPS)

Project Overview

This project, being implemented over five years from 2024 to 2029, is supported by AMED (Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development) and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) as part of the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development program (SATREPS).

Overall Goal

The goal is to have strengthened control approaches for brucellosis and zoonotic tuberculosis in Morogoro Region, Tanzania within 5 to 10 years of the project’s completion.

Project Goal

By the end of the project, the goal is to have established a brucellosis and zoonotic tuberculosis control approach based on One Health, education, and public-private partnerships in the intervention areas of Morogoro Region.

Background and Aims

Brucellosis is one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases in the world, with more than 500,000 new cases occurring worldwide each year. In humans, the disease causes prolonged undulating fever and arthritis, resulting in labor loss. In livestock such as cows and goats, abortions and reduced milk production cause significant economic losses. Ten million people are infected with tuberculosis each year, of which 150,000 are infected with zoonotic tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Humans become infected with zoonotic tuberculosis through the consumption of dairy products, etc. Cattle infected with bovine tuberculosis experience reduced milk production, impairing productivity.

Many developed countries have eliminated both diseases through bans on the sale of unpasteurized milk, brucellosis vaccination of animals, and the culling of animals that test positive. Brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis are designated by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), but are not included in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The WHO has designated these diseases as “forgotten and neglected zoonoses” and recommends integrated control of both diseases. The reasons these diseases remain unaddressed in endemic countries include the lack of One Health across multiple sectors, including health and agriculture; insufficient human and economic resources; and a lack of awareness among livestock keepers, consumers, and governments about the damage and causes of the diseases.

This research aims to contribute to solving global problems by promoting One Health (interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple sectors, including health and agriculture), education, and public-private collaboration through simulations in virtual space that combines cyberspace and physical space, thereby integrating infectious disease, socioeconomics, and human ecology to combat zoonotic diseases, which have been neglected due to insufficient public resources, inter-sectoral collaboration, and recognition of the true damage.

Project Site

Morogoro Region, Tanzania (approximately 200km west of Dar es Salaam)

Project Website

https://ohepp-satreps.rakuno.ac.jp/