01 Sep 2025

 The signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) facilitated and affirmed shared interest in One Health, says Botswana University of Agriculture and National Resources (BUAN) Vice Chancellor, Professor Ketlhatlogile Mosepele.

Prof Mosepele said BUAN, JEMBI (and organisation that develops health information systems) and MOASIS have mutual interest in zoonotic diseases surveillance and veterinary information systems, information systems integration and disease control. Speaking at the signing of the tripartite MoU in Gaborone on Friday, Prof Mosepele said mutually they upheld values of research, capacity building and informatics for human, animals and environmental health.

He also said BUAN was implementing a European Union (EU) funded project, Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA), whose objective was to facilitate governance, capacity building, research and One Health in governments. “It is being implemented in Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia,” he said.

Prof Mosepele further said the development of One Health came at an apt time in the BUAN development trajectory and as they were establishing a school of Veterinary Medicine into which they would infuse One Health programmes.

Therefore, he said the partnership and collaboration was pivotal in the journey towards the future Botswana. “A future where BUAN will facilitate the implementation of sustainable disease management systems in Botswana. 

This is particularly important given our President’s desire to increase the national cattle herd population to five million animals. He said the partnership was also an actualisation of the SADC regional integration initiative, an affirmation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan whose intent was to deepen regional cooperation and foster sustainable development.

“In the same corollary, let us use this MoU to leverage support from our development partners and facilitate the formation of a centre of excellence in One Health here at BUAN. I urge JEMBI to work with us and turn this dream into reality,” he said.

For his part, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JEMBI Health Systems, Professor Chris Seebregts said the MoU was a culmination of a two-year process. Prof Seebregts said they were also encouraged by the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture on digitising animal health information and hoped BUAN as an academic leader would be a strong advocate in moving the agenda forward.

He said their vision was guided by the One Health systems integration architecture developed by JEMBI laboratory. Prof Seebregts also said the changing world mandate one to protect and use all data sources. He said the approach would enable predictive analytics and early warning systems to prevent the spread of zoonosis.

“We know from the history of HIV or COVID-19 that the spread of the pandemics was rapidly due to delays in data and coordination,” he said.

Prof Seebregts said together they would work on disease surveillance, capacity building and the development of joint proposals for international funding. He said the partnership would open opportunities for BUAN to participate in enhancing research for Africa network. ENDS