Virunga participates in a course on wildlife health surveillance in Beni

Virunga takes part in a course on wildlife health surveillance in Beni

Between the 20^th and 23^rd of August, six Virunga National Park team members took part in training organised by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) with support from FAO dedicated to wildlife health surveillance and the use of EMA-i+ and EMPRES-i+ software tools.

Tailored mainly towards agents in the field, the training aims to improve detection, notification, and analysis of wildlife health events in protected areas; in accordance with the One Health approach, which focuses on the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health.

The course also allowed Virunga National Park to share its expertise. Jacques Katutu, Head of Gorilla Monitoring, led a session on OUTBREAK, a modelling tool for infectious diseases. Using an Ebola model applied to gorillas, participants could simulate difference transmission scenarios to better understand Great Apes’ vulnerabilities to a highly transmissible disease. These exercises reinforced the importance of regular monitoring, early detection, and rapid intervention to limit the health risks within an animal population.

The training also provided some additional material for use in the field. Four smartphones were given to the Park’s teams to improve the collection and transmission of health data from Kinyonzo, Kihangiro-Lac, Tshabirimu and Ishango posts. This equipment will allow for rapid data sharing for events which could require investigation and/or action.

At the end of the training, the participants drew up a plan to reinforce surveillance, investigation, and actions to take in the face of an outbreak. Overall, the training was a key step forward for Virunga since wildlife conservation also requires the capability to anticipate health risks and to act upon these before they gain momentum.