Integrated control of neglected zoonoses: improving human health and animal production through scientific innovation and public engagement (ICONZ)

The overall strategic objective of ICONZ is to improve human and animal health, alleviate poverty and contribute to the millennium goals. To achieve this, a number of actions are required to ensure that the current position regarding neglected zoonoses in terms of the burdens on communities and relevant research are understood. Building on this knowledge, new technologies and research outcomes should be utilised to improve the control of neglected zoonoses by developing improved tools and identifying the situations in which they can be employed. All of this must be communicated to stakeholder, and particularly policy advisors of affected countries. The proposal has been designed with interrelated work packages to address the requirements of the FP7 call. The objectives are:- 1. To map global research into neglected zoonoses; 2. To obtain knowledge and information on the neglected zoonoses in terms of disease, epidemiology and burdens. This requires systematic collection of data on disease prevalence supported by studies to estimate their dual burden on people and on livestock, quantify under-reporting and identify communities and groups at risk; 3. To improve and develop control tools for the neglected zoonoses by identifying gaps and investing in the development of new tools needed to effectively control these diseases; 4. To improve and develop integrated control and prevention strategies promoting the concept of 'one health'. This involves dealing with health problems in people, their livestock and other domestic and wild animals they depend on for their livelihoods through the development of integrated 'intervention packages'; 5. To promote intersectoral collaboration in the control of neglected zoonoses; 6. To empower women in decision making related to control of neglected zoonoses in livestock through messaging cognisant of traditional knowledge and appropriate to the economic, sociological and cultural contexts of affected communities; 7. To transfer technologies and build capacity in developing countries to control neglected zoonoses; and 8. To ensure maximum benefit from the project by a pro-active programme of dissemination aimed at all relevant stakeholders especially by raising the profile of the neglected zoonotic diseases both internationally and within affected countries