FACES of PREDICT

MUSTAFA ABABNEH
PREDICT/Jordan

“Discovering whether a detected virus has the potential to infect humans and to cause illness is a central part of the project. We may find a multitude of viral RNA in our samples, so prioritizing which findings are of greater importance helps us sort through the data.”

FATMATA BAIROH
PREDICT/Sierra Leone, Field Ecologist

“I have had an amazing work experience with PREDICT. The project was not all about us collecting animal samples but PREDICT gave back to me by building my capacity in lab and biosafety training. I can now identify the different species of bats through their external feature and their inhabitants. Ultimately with PREDICT, I became a better person when it came to team work.”

ARIUNBAATAR BARKHASBAATAR
PREDICT/Mongolia, Avian Specialist

“This project was very helpful for local veterinarians and rangers to learn about bird species identification, data collection, and field monitoring. Further, they were able to carry out their own field surveillance, data collection and data entry. Personally, I think birds are beautiful. They have a variety of colors, sounds, and behavior. If you look at one bird for several minutes, you’ll notice that it’s just like a human behavior. I have enjoyed sharing my passion of studying birds with veterinarians and disease specialists.”

BATCHULUUN DAMDINJAV
PREDICT/Mongolia, Laboratory Testing & Diagnostic Liaison

“I learned the importance of sampling methods for field surveillance and genetic analysis,barcoding tests, data cleaning and data analysis. I helped SCVL use the PREDICT-2 family-level protocols (Anthony and Liang 1, 2) to PCR screen for influenza species. My team also helped organize online training of gene sequencing and data analysis for SCVL employees with PREDICT experts. The barcoding tests were tried for the first time at SCVL and results were great.”

MOHAMED IDRISS DOUMBOUYA
PREDICT/Guinea, Agent de terrain

“Avant, j’étais vétérinaire de bureau, mais grâce à PREDICT, je suis devenu vétérinaire de terrain. Cela m’a permis d’approfondir mes connaissances en biosécurité, dans les techniques de capture et d’échantillonnage d’animaux et en particulier dans les techniques de laboratoire. PREDICT m’a permis également d’avoir de solides connaissances sur les chauves-souris et les rongeurs en général.”

FATIMA HASSAN HUSSEIN
PREDICT/Kenya, Research Scientist

“The PREDICT Project has opened my eyes from a narrow clinical diagnosis framework to a more global one health approach by targeting emerging zoonotic viruses posing a threat not only to Kenya, but to the world.”

AHMED KANDEIL
PREDICT/Egypt, Researcher

“PREDICT enhanced our lab capacity by making use of the viral testing protocols.”

TINA KUSUMANINGRUM
PREDICT/Indonesia, Field Coordinator

“There is no doubt that joining PREDICT is one of the best decisions in my researcher career. Learning how to design and implement a surveillance project, maintain networking and professional relationships with partners, and communicate the results back to the communities and decision makers—these were all exceptional experiences that will be very useful for my future career.”

MARIA MAKUWA
PREDICT/DRC, Laboratory Advisor & Administrative Coordinator

“I have benefited from learning new methods of detection and characterization of viral pathogens as part of the PREDICT Project. My training as a researcher in the laboratory has been enriched by field work and exchanges with the local populations—activities hitherto unknown to me. This program also allowed me to share my knowledge with my young colleagues and learn from their experience.”

MWOKOZI MWANZALILA
PREDICT/Tanzania, Behavioral Scientist & Community Engagement Liaison

Sokoine University of Agriculture

“PREDICT Project has helped me to create more confidence when talking in front of people. In addition, I have gained new knowledge on zoonotic diseases.”

HILARION MOUKALA NDOLO
PREDICT/Republic of Congo, Behavioral Risk Survey Investigator

“I was hired by PREDICT to perform ethnographic interviews, focus groups and questionnaires in the communities and bushmeat markets in Brazzaville. In these studies, we discovered there are those who don’t understand the concept of protected animal species, nor that handling animal species presents multiple risks of contamination with zoonotic diseases agents. I want to find ways to better educate communities and raise awareness about wildlife conservation.”

PHAM THI BICH NGOC
PREDICT/Viet Nam, Veterinary Program OFficer

“Being a junior staff in PREDICT 2 VIETNAM has helped strengthen my knowledge of the dynamics of zoonotic virus evolution, spillover from animals to human, amplification, and spread; my skills in identifying the “hot spots” of high-risk disease transmission interfaces to address wildlife trafficking in the region; and my ability to help? prevent the devastating and destabilizing effects of a disease pandemic.”

JULIUS NZIZA
PREDICT/Rwanda, Country Coordinator

“Implementing PREDICT in Rwanda has changed my professional life forever, and for the better. PREDICT work has been exciting in all aspects, from conducting field surveillance to engaging in laboratory work and establishing collaborations.”

SENGXAY PHONTHASY
PREDICT/Lao PDR, Laboratory Technician

“The most valuable experiences I have gained from working on the PREDICT project was learning new techniques for preparing samples for testing, performing conventional PCR assays, and accurately reading PCR test results. PREDICT has supported Lao PDR in terms of technical assistance, equipment, and field and lab supplies for One Health surveillance. Because of this, PREDICT has made me knowledgeable of how wildlife diseases can be transmitted and threaten livestock and human health. If I have the opportunity in the future, I would like to continue my studies at the Master and PhD level, to be able to better serve this country, especially in the areas of early disease detection and quickly responding to outbreaks.”

ZIKANKUBA “ZIKA” SIJALI
PREDICT/Tanzania, Country Coordinator

EDDY KAMBALE SYALUHA
PREDICT/Eastern DRC, Country Coordinator

“In the course of implementing PREDICT in North and South Kivu, we were very often asked by park personnel, health clinic workers, and members of the community what was the purpose of our sampling efforts, as they had never seen anybody doing anything like it. It was heartening to see how people received PREDICT messages about the One Health approach to human health protection. Awareness is now so high that human health clinic staff now alert PREDICT about patients who had been bitten by wild animals.”

KYAW YAN NAING TUN
PREDICT/Myanmar, Veterinary Field Surveillance Officer

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Global Health Program

“As a veterinarian in Myanmar, I became very knowledgeable about wildlife health and potential disease transmission among wildlife, livestock, and humans from the experiences working for PREDICT. I have limited expertise about wildlife health and wildlife medicine in our University of Veterinary Science. I can apply these experiences and knowledge of PREDICT implementations in my future career while also providing education to the community and my junior colleagues.”

WEI ZHANG
PREDICT/China, In-country Lab Technician

“Although I only worked in the lab, I’m proud when I think that I am helping to protect the health of the public and our environment.”

EHAB ABU-BASHA
PREDICT/Jordan

“PREDICT has provided me with an opportunity to become deeply involved in zoonotic disease research and health capacity building in Jordan. Our contributions to the PREDICT project will have a lasting impact on One Health implementation in Jordan.”

DESALEGN BELAY
PREDICT/Ethiopia, Human Surveillance Lead

“Prevention starts with detection, and PREDICT has brought new lab capacity and a One Health surveillance approach to prevent outbreaks.”

COL SAMUEL BEL-NONO
PREDICT/Ghana, Country Coordinator"

“PREDICT is a versatile project that brings together disease surveillance and diagnostic laboratory networks to support the Global Health Security Agenda and One Health platform in Ghana. The project has expanded the tools and approaches to viral disease investigations and strengthened national capacities for prevention, detection, and response to zoonotic viruses.”

MIREILLE DOSSO
PREDICT/Cote d’Ivoire

“The PREDICT Project has made it possible to create a multidisciplinary One Health group at the national level, and to better operationalize the concept in Côte d’Ivoire. The project has helped everyone to understand that the boundary between human and animal health is not a big one, and that a degradation in the environmental health, including deforestation, can have a significant impact on other health sectors.”

PRATEEP DUENGKAE
PREDICT/Thailand, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Forestry

“I spent my whole career studying the wildlife and natural ecosystems of Thailand. Joining the PREDICT Project opened up a whole new area of research for me and has allowed me to link my knowledge of ecology and animal biology with infectious diseases research. It’s been exciting to see how PREDICT has helped to shape the national agenda for One Health in Thailand.”

JEAN PAUL LUKUSA KABEMBA
PREDICT/Eastern DRC, Human Surveillance Coordinator

“As a medical technologist who has spent many years working with Gorilla Doctors to manage our Employee Health Program, I was extremely happy to help implement the PREDICT project in eastern DR Congo. It helped me better appreciate how closely people come into contact with wildlife in their daily lives, and I am happy to have helped people understand how they can protect themselves from zoonotic disease while also appreciating how important wildlife are in our world.”

MICHEL KOROPOGUI
PREDICT/Guinea, Biologiste

“J’ai beaucoup aimé et apprécier les différentes formations reçues de PREDICT; le niveau du formateur était très bon aussi. Ils m’ont permis d’acquérir de nouvelles connaissances sur les bonnes pratiques du laboratoire ainsi que sur la réalisation des analyses de base de la PCR. Surtout le renforcement des capacités du laboratoire. Je souhaiterais que PREDICT continue à donner ses formations. Elles m’ont donné confiance en moi et en l’avenir, mais aussi elles ont réussi à me donner l’envie d’apprendre et d’aller loin dans la recherche en Virologie!”

MODOU MOUSTAPHA LO
PREDICT/Senegal

“Au Sénégal, PREDICT est le programme le plus impliqué dans l’implémentation de l’approche une seule santé (One Health) à travers ses activités en matière de surveillance des zoonoses prioritaires. En effet, avec les 6 maladies zoonotiques prioritaires identifiées pour la surveillance au Sénégal, PREDICT s’est activement impliquée à la 4ème grâce aux activités de ses équipes émanant des 3 principales structures intervenant dans la santé humaine, animale et environnementale.”

HAPPY RAPHAEL MKALI
PREDICT/Tanzania, Laboratory Lead

“What I really enjoy about working with PREDICT is the beauty of interacting with teams of different disciplines - from veterinarians to social scientists to public health professionals, who all together have brought different experiences on how to approach zoonoses and other One Health issues around our communities.”

RAJINDRA NAPIT
PREDICT/Nepal, Senior Research Associate (Laboratory)

“PREDICT’s One Health Approach has been a great experience for me. I have been trained in biosafety, field epidemiology and surveillance and laboratory diagnostics and screening of various emerging pathogens using PCRs with high throughput sequencing. Using developed and optimized PREDICT protocols, we have been able to detect some emerging pathogens. PREDICT gave opportunity to work in community setting with exposure from sample collection to final reporting. It has helped me understand the dynamics of zoonotic virus spill over, evolution, prevention and measures and practices that reduce disease transmission risk.”

YOHANNES NEGASH
PREDICT/Ethiopia, Wildlife Surveillance Laboratory Lead

“PREDICT is one of the best coordinated projects I’ve ever seen. I have learned a lot of techniques from field sampling to laboratory testing. We have learned how to organize tasks and how to collaborate with others, and how to manage a whole project. PREDICT has taught me to follow up and harmonize all activities and to share an approach across countries. PREDICT can detect emerging and known zoonotic viruses which is very important for early warning and detection of potential pandemics.”

CYNTHIA GOMA NKOUA
PREDICT/Republic of Congo, Country Coordinator

“The contributions of PREDICT are incredibly valuable in terms of identifying weaknesses and strengths of the current biosafety and biosecurity procedures, sampling, zoonotic disease surveillance monitoring, reporting and mapping. This experience has confirmed my desire to improve the technical and managerial capacities of our institution.”

EVANGELINE OBODAI
PREDICT/Ghana, Human Laboratory Lead

“PREDICT is a unique project in that the implementing partners are the same key government ministries and institutions that would normally be tasked with the implementation of One Health policy in the country. PREDICT is therefore directly encouraging inter-ministerial collaboration and providing the opportunity for these partners to work together in the field and laboratories; directly strengthening cross- sectoral information and data sharing; and helping to enhance capabilities for early zoonotic disease detection, prevention, and response. PREDICT has been able to strengthen laboratory capacity for zoonotic disease detection in Ghana by providing a useful basic PCR tool/platform that comes in handy for screening for novel viruses.”

DHIRAJ PURI
PREDICT/Nepal, Field Officer

“As a vet technician, initially I have knowledge on poultry. But with PREDICT, I expand my knowledge about primates, rodents, ducks, bats, use of PPE, and skills on handling and collecting samples from these animals. I am also able to use software EIDITH to enter and analyze sample data. In a word, PREDICT plays vital role to increase my working area and would like to thank for providing this opportunities.”

SOUBANH SILITHAMMAVONG
PREDICT/Lao PDR, Country Coordinator

“The PREDICT program has been a school of its own for me, from which I gained knowledge from both global and local teams of experts. Because of PREDICT, I have been given such a great opportunity to be a part of a program that has given me extensive expertise and the chance to grow my career that I had never had in my life. With almost ten years working on PREDICT, I have learned a lot from experts and practitioners who I have met and interacted with. I am very appreciative and give my sincere thanks to USAID for the last ten years.”

VICTORINE MAPTUE TOGEUM
PREDICT/Cameroon, Human Clinical & Behavioral Research Coordinator

“The position I held in the PREDICT project has truly boosted my professional career. Indeed, the research carried out within the framework of this project enjoys great visibility and will be cited most often. This has helped increase my notoriety within the national and international scientific community. The Cameroonian government can turn the results of this research into concrete measures that build capacity in the health field.”

MOHAMED TURAY
PREDICT/Sierra Leone, Field Ecologist

“It has been a pleasure working with PREDICT. I have learned a lot. I am not actually a scientist – I am an IT person, but I have build my system to love the science. I love my work that I am doing, it is nice and I am learning a lot. It gives me what it takes to reach to communities, offer what I have to offer. I love what I am doing.”

GUANGJIAN ZHU
PREDICT/China, Country Coordinator

“During the past decade I worked for PREDICT, I have seen many scientists join the field for emerging infectious disease research. I hope my work through PREDICT can help set a gold standard for wildlife EID field research practices in China.”

OHNMAR AUNG
PREDICT/Myanmar, Country Coordinator & Medical Surveillance Officer

“After almost 20 years of experience as a public health and health social scientist, this is the first time I have seen the conceptualization of public health issues related to wildlife, livestock and human interfaces in Myanmar. As a doctor and public health professional, it has been an incredible experience to partake in studying communicable disease transmissions and viral outbreaks while understanding it from the animal and environmental health perspective. It was a great opportunity working for PREDICT, obtaining a comprehensive scope of the One Health Concept and studying zoonotic diseases at their source.”

James Bangura
PREDICT/Sierra Leone, Country Coordinator

Read his story of resilience here.

Manisha Bista
PREDICT/Nepal, Human Surveillance Officer

ROMEO GUEU KPON
PREDICT/Cote d’Ivoire, Junior Laboratory Technician

“On a technical level, I was able to strengthen my skills in molecular biology, particularly the nested-PCR technique, troubleshoot problems especially those associated with laboratory contamination. I also learned to barcode animal species,and to clean and analyze the produced DNA sequences with opensource software. This has allowed me to further enrich my knowledge in the field of research.”

MOKHTAR GOMAA
PREDICT/Egypt

“I enjoyed the multiple field trips collecting samples from bats and humans.”

JOSEPH KAMAU
PREDICT/Kenya, Country Coordinator

“As a veterinarian, molecular biologist of infectious diseases and a zoonoses WHO-certified expert, I assumed that I had all that it takes to handle any pandemic, but my professional experience is only one side of the coin in handling an outbreak. PREDICT2 provided the other side—the role that communities play. I’ve learned a lot from my interactions, including the knowledge that communities have in solving disease emergence or spread when well trained and guided, and what biosafety and biosecurity education can do to preventing disease outbreaks. I hope to use the lessons learned in many areas of my work and share them widely.”

CHARLES KUMAKAMBA
PREDICT/DRC, Country Coordinator

“The PREDICT Project has enabled young scientists like myself to improve our knowledge of microbiology and sample collection through its protocols. With PREDICT, I gained much experience and grew scientifically.”

ANTOINETTE KOUASSI LOU
PREDICT/Cote d’Ivoire, Senior Health Laboratory Technician

“My participation in PREDICT was an exceptional opportunity to work in another laboratory, to work in a team and especially, to work in a One Health setting with my colleagues at IPCI. I acquired a greater mastery of nested-PCR and improved my performance, given the large number of samples that had to be processed in a limited amount of time. This will allow me to have endurance and speed in the event of an epidemic or epizootic requiring a rapid and continuous diagnosis and response.”

MOHAMED MOCTAR MOUCHIE MOULIOM
PREDICT/Cameroon, Country Coordinator

“PREDICT has effectively contributed to Cameroon’s increased capacities for zoonotic disease surveillance and the detection of priority zoonotic diseases and unknown threats. The opportunity to work with specialists from various professional backgrounds and to share their experience has helped me to build my own capacity in the One Health approach and project management more efficiently than ever before.”

AMADOU N’DIAYE
PREDICT/Senegal, Laboratory Technician

“L’approche One Health est une réalité au Sénégal. En effet, dans le cadre du projet PREDICT/Sénégal, différents professionnels (médecins, vétérinaires et écologistes) s’unissent pour surveiller, détecter et réagir aux menaces endémiques à l’interface ‘homme- animal-environnement.”

NGUYEN THI THANH NGA
PREDICT/Viet Nam, Health Team Manager

“I started my career as a member of the PREDICT Project. Being a part of the team helps me deepen my expertise, improves my skills, and gives me a golden chance to explore the area that I’m interested in—wildlife, wildlife health and zoonotic diseases. PREDICT has helped me enhance my veterinary skills and its findings bring value to animal health, especially wildlife health, in Viet Nam.”

RACHMITASARI NOVIANA
PREDICT/Indonesia, Wildlife Data Manager

“Since working with PREDICT/Indonesia, I’ve learned so much and I have changed my point of view about animal and viral findings. I have also improved my ability in information technology. I am honored to be a member of the Data Management team.”

RICKY OKWIR OKELLO
PREDICT/Uganda, Field Veterinarian

“PREDICT surveillance has shown that timely and accurate detection and reporting of infectious disease outbreaks help guide interventions to control epidemics. Now that Uganda has veterinarians with the capacity to safely capture and sample wildlife, and the training of laboratory staff in protocols for virus screening, the country has moved a major step ahead towards preventing, detecting, and responding to various health security risks and public health emergencies of international concern.”

MAME CHEIKH SECK
PREDICT/Senegal, Human Sampling Lead

“L’approche One Health est une réalité au Sénégal. En effet, dans le cadre du projet PREDICT/Sénégal, différents professionnels (médecins, vétérinaires et écologistes) s’unissent pour surveiller, détecter et réagir aux menaces endémiques à l’interface ‘homme- animal-environnement.”

BENARD JASPER SSEBIDE
PREDICT/Uganda, Country Coordinator

“Bwindi is one of those places where the potential for viral pathogens to emerge from forest wildlife and spill over into both local and transiting populations is very high. Surveillance to date has shown this to be true, and with our PREDICT project, we now better understand how that spill over occurs and therefore how best to prevent it.”

JEAN CLAUDE TUMUSHIME
PREDICT/Rwanda, Laboratory Technician

“Working for PREDICT has been a life-changing experience for my professional career in many ways. I feel proud for having been part of a team that is at the forefront of helping public health and conservation sectors design interventions that can be used to deter the next pandemic threat.”

SUPAPORN WACHARAPLUESADEE
PREDICT/Thailand, Country Coordinator & Laboratory Chief

“The Thailand team and I have learned and gained valuable experiences from our work with PREDICT, practiced until the unknown was known, and built relationships and trust among partners.”