By Agricultural Correspondent Gracious Dzapasi
“In order to revive and improve export-quality agro, beef and dairy produce, Zimbabwean farmers have to ensure organic, disease free, veterinary certified, heirloom agro products compatible with EU and US standards.
The conservation of pedigree cattle breeds such as the Mashona, Nguni and Tuli and their genomics would give Zimbabwe competitive advantage on the international beef industry”.
Said veterinary epidemiologist Dr Monda at a CSC workshop held recently for cattle producers in Mashonaland west.
Dr. Tony Michel Monda is a vetmed practitioner, agronomic economist, researcher, public health, veterinary epidemiologist and undertakes digital health applications and management, emerging diseases and zoonosis research in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa.
He works with health researchers, policy-makers, health educationists and implementers to translate epidemiological field research evidence into improved health policies and programmes.
Embedded in his training is the concept of development of the medical professional to challenge and extend knowledge and practice in Public Health management.
His artistic background and wide set of skills and experiences allow him to approach tasks from alternative and innovative angles.
Proficient in medical diplomacy and with an extensive resource network for mobilizing technical resources and private sector partnerships, epidemiologist Monda specialized in infectious animal disease control, public health,epidemiology and social sciences. He has extensive experience in monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning and policy formulation and development.
In Zimbabwe and the SADC region he is best known as the man who brought Thereliosis cattle disease into the public domain, via the press, and advocated for its control.
A recognised authority in the health and veterinary sectors of Zimbabwe, Monda’s public health medical dossier addresses key challenges that interface and converge in agriculture, medicine, the pharmaceutical industry and human and animal health, in line with the Centre of Disease Control (CDC), and recommendations by UN agencies and world bodies such as the OIE, WHO, FAO, UNDP, IIED IIA, ILRA and WFP.
In an advisory consultant capacity Dr. Monda has international experience in medical resource mobilization, media communications, global engagement, development partnerships and financial lobbying with various UN organisations, the private sector and multi-national pharmaceutical companies.
During his career, Monda served as an advisor to the Zimbabwean Mission to the United Nations in New York, on pharmaceutical trade protocol, health systems in Zimbabwe, and technical co-operation in the medical field. From 2015 Monda was advisor to the late Minister of Land, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement and strongly advocated for the development of rural agricultural practices. This resulted in the improved Command Agriculture and Livestock
Development Programmes.
Monda further advised Government and Minister on: global climate change, in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC); the impact of global warming on crop, livestock and human health; improved cattle genomics; aquaculture, fish and fish genetics; ‘green’ agriculture, pasture management and land conservation, the preservation of heirloom livestock, poultry and plants, and disease specific digital surveillance in animal health and its potential to dramatically reduce health threats, including predictive, monitoring and diagnostics technologies.
Known for his people-centred research and evidence-informed advocacy and discourse on health policymaking and zoonotic disease control, Monda has been at the forefront of research, diagnosisand management of important infectious diseases of livestock, occupational health diseases and safety measures, and chemical risks to health in Zimbabwe and in East and Southern Africa.
Indigenous Nguni Cattle
Monda has networked internationally with diverse medical professionals to gain a multi–faceted point of view and give a local understanding of zoonotic and re-emerging diseases and their control and management.
A dedicated medical health researcher, he has written extensively on Zimbabwe’s cattle and cultural heritage; Zimbabwe’s agriculture, its economy and potential; the History of Veterinary Medicine in Zimbabwe; Important Diseases of Cattle; Indigenous Practices for the Treatment of Diseases; Dealing With Dog Diseases in Zimbabwe; The Impact of Global Climate Change on Human and Livestock Health in Zimbabwe; Aquatic Ecosystems in Zimbabwe; Aquaculture and Fish Diseases in Zimbabwe; Animal Zoonotics in Africa; the Covid-19 Pandemic, and more. Monda reviewed “Zoonoses – Animal Diseases and Man”, a book on zoonotic diseases by Dr. Jan H and Dr. Gert P du Preez.
Monda has legal knowledge and professional experience in Public Health (One Health) Medicine, Health Financing, Health Economics, Health Policy, Animal Health, including marketing and promotion of animal health products; Social Sciences, Industrial Safety Medicine, Environmental Health and Management and Communications in IDC.
Through his concerted research and intervention Monda brought many diseases to the public attention and advised the Zimbabwean government on medical and social prevention strategies for disease control and prevention.
These included HIV and Aids, Cholera, Typhoid, Trypanosomiasis, Thereliosis, Babesiosis, Rabies, etc, to re-emerging diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth, Anthrax, Avian Contagious Epithelioma and Epizootic Lymphangitis.
During the Covid-19 epidemic (2020-2022) Dr. Monda served as a public medical diplomat updating foreign diplomats, the public and private sector on the various mutations and strains of Coronavirus and its containment.
Based on his ongoing medical research, in 2018 Monda attended The 15 th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE), in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on trans-boundary animal diseases and emerging zoonotic infectious diseases.
As a member of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Monda attended the WOAH 4th Animal Welfare Global Forum in 2022. The topic of Animal Welfare Economics centred on the economic impact of animal welfare and how farmers’ income around the world could increase.
In 2023, during the World AMR Awareness Week, Monda was amongst the key speakers representing Zimbabwe at the African Nations Anti Microbial Medicines Resistance Awareness conference held at HICC, Rainbow Towers, Harare, on accelerating progress in Africa in the
implementation of AMR National Action Plans, AMR One Health multi-sectoral collaboration as well Dr. Tony Michel Monda as governance. Monda’s paper covered an overview of Antimicrobial Resistance; Pesticides, Land and Water in Rural Zimbabwe.
The conference was held under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in partnership with African Union agencies, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR) together with the Government of Zimbabwe.
Monda holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from Bristol University, a MVS in Agriculture and Animal Science from Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire, UK, a Masters in Public Veterinary Medicine (MPVM), from Colorado State University and ancillary certification in Epidemiology from the University of Washington, Seattle USA, including a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). He served an internship at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in livestock disease control.
Dr. Monda has a strong commitment to public health education and disease control. He views public education as central to agriculture support policies, particularly on animal and crop disease control in Zimbabwe, leading to poverty alleviation, reducing rural and gender inequity and promoting social inclusion. He is a member AVMA, ICRC, IFRC, OIE, GAHN, SPCA International, and recently IIED.
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