Through the EC4bTB initiative, implemented by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) supports a technical cooperation project aimed at improving the diagnosis, control, and prevention of zoonotic infectious animal diseases—diseases that can be transmitted directly or indirectly between animals and humans.
The initiative supports Eritrean institutions in developing a national programme for the eradication of brucellosis (BR) and bovine tuberculosis (TB) by strengthening national capacities for disease diagnosis, surveillance, prevention, and control in dairy cattle farms, particularly in the Debub and Maekel Regions, which have the country’s highest concentrations of both human populations and dairy cattle.
Within this framework, IZSAM promotes the One Health approach, integrating animal, human, and environmental health to improve the productivity of the dairy sector while reducing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, thereby contributing to public health and national food security.
The project also delivers significant results in the digitalization of animal health information systems through the collection and management of disease data, the optimization of diagnostic processes, and the epidemiological analysis of laboratory and field data to identify risk factors and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.
EC4bTB is a data-driven initiative built on systematic data collection, analysis, and evaluation. By placing scientific evidence at the center of decision-making, the project enables national public health and food safety institutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their interventions, harness digital technologies for both public and private stakeholders, and define measurable, realistic, and achievable improvement objectives.
Adopting a community-based participatory approach, the initiative supports not only national institutions but also livestock farmers and private veterinary professionals in identifying priorities and developing sustainable solutions tailored to local needs.