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Zoonotic diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality according to World Health Organization. Zoonotic diseases are responsible for 2.5 billion cases of human illness and 2.7 million human deaths worldwide each year (Salyer, Silver, Simon & Barton-Behravesh, 2017). Zoonotic diseases are transmitted from animals to humans or vice versa. Beside morbidity and mortality, zoonotic diseases have other negative consequences such as restrictions in international trade and travels. Furthermore, in countries with limited resources the health systems are usually overstretched when the burden of zoonotic diseases is high (Aiyekomogbon, Meseko & Abiodun, 2016; Laxminarayan, Kakkar, Horby, Malavige & Basnyat, 2017).
To reduce the adverse effects of zoonotic diseases, several studies have been conducted with appropriate recommendations (Donadeu, Nwankpa, Abela-Ridder & Dungu, 2019;Khatun, Islam, Rahman 2019; Nada, Jotanović, Đorđe 2016; Penakalapati, Swarthout & Delahoy, 2017; Rahaman & Milazzo, 2019). In spite of these studies, the incidence of zoonotic diseases still persists.
Nigeria is considered to have one of the highest burdens of endemic diseases globally and one of the four countries (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Togo and Mali) that contributes 44% of the world’s poorest livestock keepers (FMH/FMARD/FME, 2019). Diseases like anthrax, zoonotic tuberculosis, brucellosis and rabies are widespread among livestock keepers. Despite the huge burden of endemic zoonosis and increased risks of emergence of novel zoonotic diseases, there is minimal inter-sectoral collaboration on zoonosis among health professionals in Nigeria (Otu et al., 2021). While there is no single intervention that can address all zoonoses, it is now increasingly recognized that the establishment of inter-sectoral collaborative mechanisms is the most efficient strategy to address existing and emerging zoonoses (FMH/FMARD/FME, 2019: Meseko et al., 2015)). Therefore, to advance measures in the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases, researchers have stressed the need for collaborative efforts across veterinary, medical and environmental health professionals (Bardosh, Scoones, Grace, Kalema-Zikuuusoka, Jones & Balogh et al., 2017; Herten, Bovenkerk & Verweii, 2018). One-way collaborative effort is made possible is through multidisciplinary knowledge sharing among various health professionals. Moreover, the capacity for effective control of zoonotic diseases among public health professionals largely depends on the perception on knowledge/ data sharing and also on the ability to build absorptive capacity which in turn, will improve professional performance.
Absorptive capacity and knowledge sharing are required to achieve higher level of innovation in managing zoonotic diseases. Through the process of sharing knowledge with others, professionals acquire new knowledge that increases the learning abilities and performance. Similarly, absorptive capacity and potential absorptive capacity are needed to develop competence, maintain competitive advantage as well as to acquire and assimilate externally generated knowledge critical for operations (Zahra & George, 2002).
Regular acquisition of external knowledge is essential in managing zoonotic diseases. Public health professionals should be willing to acquire and increasingly invest in activities that will facilitate external knowledge absorption, in order to improve their responsiveness to zoonotic diseases emergence.