Stakeholders validate One Health governance findings across Somalia, Malawi and Zambia

Stakeholders in Somalia, Malawi and Zambia have endorsed findings from country-specific One Health stakeholder net-mapping exercises, marking the completion of a regional assessment aimed at strengthening governance and coordination for One Health systems across Eastern and Southern Africa.

The validation meetings, held between 18 June and 23 June under the Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) project, reviewed stakeholder relationships, identified governance gaps and refined recommendations to improve the institutionalization of One Health in the three countries.

The stakeholder net-mapping exercises, conducted by ISAAA AfriCenter using a participatory methodology developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), examined the influence, relationships and collaboration among institutions involved in implementing One Health policies. The approach seeks to identify key actors and assess how they coordinate, build capacity, advocate and mobilize resources.

In Somalia, 47 participants representing government ministries, academia, civil society, development organizations and international partners met virtually on 18 Junene to validate the findings.

The assessment identified United Nations agencies, government ministries, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions as the country’s most influential One Health actors. Participants said collaboration remained fragmented and called for the establishment of a national One Health framework, stronger multisectoral coordination and sustainable financing to support long-term implementation.

In Malawi, 45 representatives from government agencies, research institutions, academia and development partners met on 23 June to review the findings.

The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) and the Ministry of Health emerged as the most influential institutions within the country’s One Health network. However, participants said activities were still largely driven by sector-specific priorities, with limited integration across sectors.

Stakeholders identified the absence of a clear coordinating authority, weak institutional ownership beyond the human and animal health sectors and inadequate cross-sector collaboration as key challenges. They recommended establishing a formal governance framework, placing One Health coordination within a higher-level government office and creating a dedicated budget to support implementation.

In Zambia, 41 participants from government ministries, academia, research institutions and civil society also validated the findings on 23 June.

The Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) was identified as the country’s leading One Health institution, supported by strong links with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, development partners and academic institutions.

While participants acknowledged Zambia’s existing coordination structures, they said greater involvement of community organizations, the private sector and regulatory institutions was needed. Recommendations included expanding stakeholder participation, strengthening financing mechanisms and elevating One Health coordination within government to encourage broader national ownership.

Across the three countries, participants agreed that stronger governance frameworks, sustainable financing, effective multisectoral coordination and wider stakeholder engagement would be essential for embedding One Health approaches into national systems.

The completion of the validation meetings means all 12 countries participating in the COHESA project have now finalized their stakeholder net-mapping exercises.

Project partners said the findings provide a regional evidence base on the institutions, relationships and coordination challenges shaping One Health governance across Eastern and Southern Africa, and will support cross-country learning, regional collaboration and the development of practical solutions to strengthen integrated responses to health threats affecting people, animals and the environment.