The World Health Organization (WHO) has begun a comprehensive five-day Joint Risk Assessment (JRA) workshop on Lassa Fever, Rabies and Anthrax employing a structured ten-step process.
The results of the critical assessment will play a pivotal role in enhancing policy communication, facilitating risk mitigation efforts, and bolstering planning and preparedness measures for zoonotic diseases at the human-animal-environment interface.
Speaking Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at the opening of the workshop in Paynesville City, WHO Health Emergency Team Lead Dr. Julius Monday said, “It is another opportunity for Liberia to go in-depth into the three-priority hazard and to do an analysis into a process called risk assessment.
However, Dr. Monday has described the risk assessment as a human, animal and environment problem.
He narrated that at the end of the workshop, there will be mitigation measures which is a product and data science.
He disclosed that after the workshop, participants will come out with recommendations that will inform a policy statement which will be presented to decision makers in the country.
“At the end of the day, we will summarize all of those into a policy statement that will guide a good practice in the country,” Dr. Monday said.
He added that the policy statement will be relevant in guiding and directing investment.
Dr. Monday noted that with the policy statement, one does not need to ask about the issues that concern Lassa Fever, Rabies and Anthrax because all necessary information or data will be included in the documents.
He said it will also have a reference material that will be disseminated globally; when that happens, it will be called standard assessment.
Dr. Monday encouraged all participants to fully participate in the workshop, describing it as beneficiary.
The Joint Risk Assessment (JRA) workshop is being attended by employees of Ministry of Health, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, the Forestry Development Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Agriculture Organization, GIZ, AFENET, AFROHUN, Breakthrough ACTIONS, amongst others, under the One Health Initiative.
