Unit | Human and Animal Health

The unit uses a One Health approach for zoonoses control and improving the health of mobile populations. We demonstrate the synergistic potentials of closer cooperation between the human and animal health sectors. Particular attention is paid to the added value of One Health for better health and well-being, environmental services and financial savings. Among neglected zoonoses in developing countries, brucellosis and rabies are central in our work, which spans from capacity-building to interventions.
Systemic integrated approaches
We do systemic research to consider health as an outcome of social-ecological systems given its connections in social, cultural, economic and ecological dimensions. This allows us to describe both qualitative and quantitative linkages between humans, animals and the environment.
Inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches
Our inter- and trans-discplinary research on seasonal and labor migrants benefits from long-standing work on the health of mobile pastoralists and balances the needs of both communities and service providers. These processes lead to testing of adapted information and services in mobile communities.
Groups

Jakob Zinsstag
Professor, PhD, DVM
Head of Unit
+41612848139
jakob.zinsstag@swisstph.ch
Highlights

Health of Pastoralists and the Future of Pastoralism
A major topic in our unit is the testing of innovative ways to improve the health of pastoralists, their livestock and the pastures they use. In many regions, there are hardly any alternatives to mobile livestock production which uses the vast dry grasslands. Ongoing research and action projects are in Mongolia, Chad and Ethiopia. Since we are among only a few research units working on health of pastoralists, the World Animal Health Organization asked us to edit a thematic issue on the Future of Pastoralism. It gives a broad view on pastoralism and pastoral livestock production from a cultural, social, economic, ecological and climatic, conservation, institutional, governance and security perspectives.

Towards Elimination of Dog Rabies in West- and Central Africa
Why is there no or insufficiently effective action to control and eliminate dog rabies? There is considerable overrepresentation of laboratory investigations or pathogen associated and basic epidemiology research. However, information on effective control activities and policies is nearly absent. Our research contributes to fill the gap between knowledge and effective action by addressing the social, political, economic and psychological complexity of effective rabies control interventions. In Chad, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, we assess the burden of rabies for planning provision of post-exposure prophylaxis. Dog rabies could be eliminated by mass vaccination of dogs, thus we are also studying the dynamics of dog rabies elimination after mass vaccination.
CABI One Health Is Now Accepting Papers
One Health 2nd Edition
Download the flyer for the second edition of our book ‘One Health: The Theory and Practice of Integrated Health Approaches’.
Free Online Course
Practicing One Health not only improves human and animal health but also allows considerable financial savings and contributes to a better environment. This value cannot be achieved working alone but is a triumph of truly interdisciplinary and intersectoral work. The course reflects this and brings together different disciplines in a selection of case studies, demonstrating the advantages of a closer cooperation between human and animal health and social and cultural sciences.
Le cours «One Health: Connecter les humains, les animaux et l'environnement» est maintenant disponible en français! Familiarisez-vous avec One Health, un concept prometteur, et les solutions efficaces qu'il apporte aux problèmes de santé urgents.
Commencez maintenant: tales.nmc.unibas.ch/en/one-health-connecter-les-humains-les-animaux-et-l-environnement-13/

Statements, Presentations, Videos and Blog Posts
- K4D: Heilsame Dialoge in Guatemala (8 March 2022)
- Jakob Zinsstag: Spirituality and One Health
- Erfahrungsbericht zu Nord-Süd Forschung während COVID-19, Jakob Zinsstag
- Towards the elimination of dog rabies in West - and Central Africa
- One Health: auf dem Weg zu einer integrierenderen Wissenschaft
- Zoobiquity – Tier- und Humanmedizin zusammen denken, Planet Wissen, ARD alpha
- Jakob Zinsstag, Rahmenbedingungen ethischer und rechtlicher Verantwortung: Rückblick auf 26 Jahre Forschung in Afrika und Asien., April 2016
- Aïsata und ihr Hund: Wie in Afrikanischen Städten die Tollwut ausgerottet werden kann, von Jakob Zinsstag
- Aïsata et son chien, ou comment éradiquer la rage dans certaines villes d'Afrique, de Jakob Zinsstag
- Aïsata e il suo cane 1 : eradicare la rabbia dalle città africane è una missione possibile, di Jakob Zinsstag
- Social responsibility: Why we need strong research centres in the South, by Bassirou Bonfoh and Lukas Meier
- 2014 McKinlay Oration - Otago Global Health Institute Annual Conferences
World Health Summit: One Health Good Practices and Challenges
Latest Publications
All PublicationsAbubakr M et al. The Phylodynamic and spread of the invasive Asian malaria vectors, Anopheles stephensi, in Sudan. Biology (Basel). 2022;11(3):409. DOI: 10.3390/biology11030409
Abukhattab S et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of integrated studies on salmonella and campylobacter prevalence, serovar, and phenotyping and genetic of antimicrobial resistance in the middle east—a One Health perspective. Antibiotics (Basel). 2022;11(5):536. DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050536
Ahmed A, Abubakr M, Ali Y, Siddig E.E, Mohamed N.S. Vector control strategy for Anopheles stephensi in Africa. Lancet Microbe. 2022;3(6):e403. DOI: 10.1016/S2666-5247(22)00039-8
Ahmed A, Ali Y, Salim B, Dietrich I, Zinsstag J. Epidemics of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Sudan between 2010 and 2020. Microorganisms. 2022;10(5):928. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10050928
Ali A.M et al. Population pharmacokinetics of antimalarial naphthoquine in combination with artemisinin in Tanzanian children and adults: Dose optimization. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2022;66(5):e0169621. DOI: 10.1128/aac.01696-21