One Health System Strengthening

Towards a One Health Operationalization

Nowadays, the concept of One Health is well-known by scientific experts across the world. Nonetheless, there is a gap between ‘knowing the One Health concept’ and ‘implementing One Health’ through deploying multisectoral expert collaborations on the field.

The Quadripartite Organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), and the World Health Organization (WHO), have developed the One Health (OH) Joint Plan of Action (2022–2026). It aims to prevent future pandemics, promote sustainable health, and includes a comprehensive guide to support the operationalization and implementation of One Health globally.

For 10 years, MediLabSecure project’s capacity-building strategy has been carefully designed around core One Health principles. Multisectoral trainings have successfully brought together professionals from diverse sectors to exchange perspectives, harmonize capacities, and address shared needs. 

The strategy initially focused on improving One Health surveillance and risk assessment of viral vector-borne diseases by enhancing capacities and fostering collaboration across sectors. These efforts led to significant progress at the country level. Then, the strategy was expanded to not only reinforce surveillance and risk assessment but also to improve policies based on research and support the broader development of One Health systems at the national level.

Capitalizing on these achievements and with the ambition to go further, OneHealthSecure will: 

• Reinforce One Health operationalization by assessing the level of operationalization and integrated surveillance capacities among member institutions and by supporting the development of One Health integrated action plans in pilot countries, paired with multiple joint training initiatives to support the strategy.
• Advocate for the One Health approach by gathering evidence about successful cases of application of One Health and by identifying and enabling One Health catalysts (ambassadors) to promote the added-value of One Health at national and regional level.