Animal Health Research Center (ZAHRC)
With the aim of strengthening Germany's commitment to international cooperation in animal health and One Health through collaborative research projects with international partners, the IITG is coordinating the establishment of the first FLI One Health Field Station in Zanzibar. A long-term partnership between FLI and Zanzibar was signed in 2023, led on the Zanzibar side by the Zanzibar Livestock Research Institute (ZALIRI). This partnership aims to implement activities to strengthen basic and applied science and One Health capacity through research and sustainable training and education. Containers are currently being converted into laboratories and will be installed on the ZALIRI premises. Construction is almost complete and the containers will be ready for use in summer 2025. Other FLI partners are the Department of Livestock Development Zanzibar, the Department of Preventive Services (Ministry of Health), the Zanzibar Health Research Institute, the Public Health Laboratory - Ivo de Carneri Pemba, Tanzania National Parks, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute and the Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency.
In 2023 and 2024, the IITG together with the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, the Rinderunion Baden-Württemberg, the Zanzibar Livestock Research Institute and the Department of Livestock Development Zanzibar organised two Summer Schools, one on Unguja and one on Pemba, entitled ‘Healthy Livestock – Healthy People’. Participants were trained in recognition of sick animals, herd health, case definitions, differential diagnosis, ante and post mortem inspection, knowledge of correct and high quality sampling, livestock diagnostics and interpretation of the results.