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Farah Isse Mumin, a PhD student from the University of Liverpool and a research fellow at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), is making strides in One Health engagement across pastoral communities in Somalia. Her work focuses on zoonotic diseases, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance, aiming to improve community health by recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
Somalia Enhancing One Health with Community Involvement
As a veterinarian from Somalia, Mumin is dedicated to creating accessible and affordable healthcare solutions for vulnerable communities, including pastoralists and displaced populations. Her research includes three integrated studies designed to address the unique health challenges in Somalia’s pastoral and agropastoral settings:
1. Zoonotic Disease Prioritization: Mumin’s first study employs a participatory tool to identify zoonotic diseases of greatest concern to local communities, moving away from traditional, top-down training methods.
2. Knowledge and Practice Assessment: Developing and validating a Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) instrument, this component helps gauge community understanding of One Health hazards and guides future health education efforts.
3. Community Conversations for Behavior Change: Using the KAP tool, Mumin evaluates the impact of community-led dialogues, aiming to reduce risks associated with zoonotic diseases, food safety hazards, and antimicrobial resistance.
Progress in Puntland, Somalia: Community Conversations in Action
In a recent visit to Puntland, Mumin conducted zoonotic prioritization exercises with 45 pastoralists, who voiced a preference for community-led discussions over traditional NGO-led seminars. Local participants appreciated the interactive approach, which diverged from the conventional “Tababar Haayadeed” training by involving them in experience-sharing dialogues.
Collaboration with the Ministry of Livestock
Mumin’s visit also included engagement with Puntland’s Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry (MoLAH). Recognizing the effectiveness of the community conversation model, MoLAH invited her to train 22 field staff using the HEAL project’s facilitator guide. The Ministry is now piloting the community-based approach in four locations and aims to incorporate it into long-term policy frameworks.
Looking Ahead: A New Model for Health Education for Somalia
Early findings show that animal-specific diseases are a top priority for Somali communities, followed by human-specific and zoonotic diseases. This insight, along with Mumin’s ongoing work, promises to reshape health interventions for pastoral populations in Somalia.