Cost-effectiveness of the One Health interventions during previous anthrax outbreaks was higher than that of isolated sectoral responses @FAO/Nyakudjara

DODOMA, 8 September 2022 – The 2006 - 2007 Rift Valley Fever outbreak has triggered the promotion of One Health with the adoption of a One Health agenda in 2013 and the launched of the One Health Strategic plan in 2018. This commitment of Tanzania is translated by the establishment of the One Health Coordination Desk (OHCD) in 2018, which was elevated into One Health Section in 2022. Despite the significant progress over the last 15 years, the One Health implementation remains underfunded and this may be partly explained by the lack of sufficient evidence on the monetary and non-monetary benefits of approach to attract more stakeholders to allocate resources.

Cost benefit analysis (CBA) is an economic evaluation that compares the costs and effects of interventions in monetary terms, thereby placing a monetary value on the health benefits of a given intervention.

In Tanzania, a One Health intervention CBA analysis applied to the 2016 and 2019 anthrax outbreaks was conducted from July to September 2022 and supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) in collaboration with the One Health Coordination Desk (OHCD).

“The One Health Coordination Desk, under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) appreciates the support extended by FAO to hold this important workshop to analyse the cost-benefits of this outbreak intervention when conducted in a collaborative way” said the Assistant Director of the Emergency Operation and Communication, Lt. Col. Selestine Masalamado, representative of the One Health Coordination Desk, in his welcoming remarks.

Henry Magwisha, on behalf of the country team leader of the FAO ECTAD team in Tanzania, emphasized that “FAO is ready to support One Health activities through One Health Coordination Desk in order to coordinate multi-sectoral activities, foster collaboration among stakeholders and advocate for a One Health approach. It is expected that at the end of this workshop the output of cost benefits analysis (CBA) will form an impetus for local or external resource mobilization”.

Offering a sense of the economic value provided by One Health interventions

Tanzania is considered as a “hot spot” for emerging and re-emerging infectious disease epidemics. The country has experienced several epidemics including Rift Valley fever and anthrax. These public health challenges arising from the interaction of humans-animals-environment link require a One Health approach, a collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working together to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment.

The inputs comprised in a CBA analysis are costs, including those of implementing an intervention, and benefits, counting those resulting from an intervention, such as medical costs, productivity gains, and the monetized value of health improvements. Thus, CBA’s estimated net benefit offers a sense of the economic value provided to society by an intervention.

CBA Conclusions

The CBA found that the cost-effectiveness of the One Health interventions during previous outbreaks was higher than that of isolated sectoral responses. The analysis exercise also demonstrated the value of the CBA tool as a self-reflection tool, as the country and participants decided to conduct the analysis on a regular basis. It also identified the obstacles and challenges that need to be addressed to enable a more comprehensive and effective mitigation of animal health threats.

The CBA involved One Health stakeholders, including the Department of Disaster Management (DMD) - Prime Minister's Office, representatives of line ministries, senior training and research institutions and development partners.

This activity was supported by the FAO’s Sustainable operationalization of One Health in the Africa region funded by US Defense Threats Reduction Agency (DTRA).