World Bank’s pandemic fund to support Uganda, Rwanda and DRC

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The World Bank Pandemic Fund has announced support to countries that form the Greater Virunga Landscape in their efforts to prevent diseases that attack both humans and animals.

The project, launched under the auspices of the Pandemic Fund - a multi-stakeholder partnership developed by the World Bank, in close collaboration with WHO and other partners, aims to deliver global health financing for pandemic prevention and preparedness in the Greater Virunga Landscape.

The initiative will increase disease surveillance, laboratory capacities and local expertise to enable faster detection of emerging diseases in animals and humans.

The Greater Virunga Landscape, made up of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to rich biodiversity, including species such as mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, lions, and golden monkeys.

The Fund, which was launched on Thursday at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, is aimed at strengthening the capacity of beneficiary countries to manage such diseases in the family of zoonotic diseases through a One Health Approach(OHA).

OHA is a holistic approach that seeks to balance and optimise the health of people, animals, and ecosystems, recognising that human, animal, and environmental health are deeply interconnected.

With humans increasingly coming into close contact with animals and the environment, the risk of infectious disease transmission is rising. For example, zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and COVID-19 can spread from animals to humans due to environmental factors that bring them into closer proximity.

“The project recognises that placing people at the centre is key to its success. We are working closely with local communities, ensuring they are integral to decision-making and supporting them in protecting their biodiversity, while keeping communities healthy and resilient in the long term.” WWF Country Director Ivan Tumuhimbise.

“The connections between people, animals, and the environment in relation to health have been recognised for decades, and the One Health approach has existed since 2003. Yet it took a global pandemic for the world to finally prioritise it. We are confident that this partnership will become a model of multidisciplinary disease prevention, uniting health workers, veterinarians, communities, scientists, researchers, policymakers, and NGOs to help prevent future pandemics,” Tumuhimbise added.

At the same occasion, IGCP Director Wellard Makambo explained that the project increases coordination across the borders, especially in terms of data collection, which will be beneficial during the implementation phases.

“The project will capitalise on existing data and ensure better coordination of ongoing cross-sectoral initiatives, like data from the ongoing mountain gorilla census in the Bwindi–Sarambwe area, which will provide vital insights for this project,” Makambo said.

He explained further that faecal samples will not only yield DNA data to analyse gorilla demographics (age and sex ratios), but also reveal information on their health, the health of other species such as chimpanzees, and the overall ecosystem.

Delivery Partners of the project include the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC), the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Gorilla Doctors (GD), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), as well as government ministries, universities, and community-based organisations.

Officiating as chief guest, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa said that the Uganda side of the Greater Virunga includes world-famous destinations such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where gorilla trekking attracts thousands of visitors annually and generates millions of dollars in tourism revenue.

Adding that by protecting the health and safety of both animals and humans will drive, especially the country’s tourism industry, which has been identified as a key sector that will contribute to Uganda’s economic growth. Tayebwa assured a team of parliamentarians' support towards the initiative.