Overall targets
This project aims to improve the livelihood of indigenous communities in the Bolivian Amazon by raising awareness and building local networks and capacities to prevent and combat diseases that spread between animals and humans, in this pilot project exemplified by a bacterial infection called ‘leptospirosis’.
Immediate targets
To meet the aim, we will take on a recommended approach called “One Health” promoting cross-disciplinary cooperation and action to manage health issues that intersect humans, animals and the environment. The project will stand on three activity pillars (research, citizen engagement and capacity building) with the following specific objectives: 1) Research • Investigate the extent of local community knowledge about zoonotic diseases such as leptospirosis in a high risk area of the Bolivian Amazon • Assess the impact of leptospirosis on human health and well-being, animal health and productivity, and its influence on livestock farmers, workers and consumers in the area 2) Citizen engagement • Engage and coordinate the project activities between the local NGO Teko Kavi, local community citizens, health workers and relevant national, communal and local authorities • Develop a local strategy to prevent leptospirosis in animal and human populations at the family and community level, including optimal means of communication in the selected areas • Create awareness and disseminate knowledge about leptospirosis through local educators to citizens in high-risk areas of the Bolivian Amazon 3) Capacity building • Train local veterinarians and health workers on how to suspect, detect, prevent, control and treat leptospirosis. Exercise sampling and laboratory testing for future surveillance under rural Bolivian Amazon conditions • Train the local NGO (Teko Kavi) to evaluate the effectiveness of the One Health approach to detect, prevent and control a zoonotic diseases such as leptospirosis in rural indigenous communities • Prepare a targeted project application to implement the approach to build local capacities in a larger area, through Teko Kavi and local health authorities, to mitigate the negative livelihood effects of zoonotic diseases such as leptospirosis based on the experience gained in this pilot project
Target groups
The intervention will take place in the San Buenaventura Municipality located in the Amazon region of the La Paz department, Bolivia. This area is home to the Tacana indigenous people, represented by CIPTA and CIMTA, who together constitute the voice of 3773 Tacana people (54% men and 46% women constituting 393 nuclear families). Two Tacana communities will be selected for the project; Tumupasa (1827 pers.) and Buena Vista (271 pers.).
Resume
Den foreliggende indsats har til formål at skabe forbedrede levevilkår for den oprindelige befolkningsgruppe ’Tacana’ i boliviansk Amazonas. Vi ønsker at opnå dette ved at opbygge lokale netværk og kapacitet til at forebygge og bekæmpe sygdomme, der spredes mellem dyr og mennesker; i dette pilotprojekt eksemplificeret ved bakterieinfektionen ’leptospirose’. Projektet bygger på tre centrale aktiviteter; forskning, civilsamfundsengagement og kapacitetsopbygning, hvis formål er at vurdere leptospiroses virkning på mennesker og dyrs sundhed og trivsel, skabe bevidsthed om sygdommen samt udvikle en bekæmpelsesstrategi forankret på lokalt og regionalt niveau og kapacitetsopbygge partnere, lokale netværk og Tacanafolket.