Organising for One Health in a developing country

Area of Science:

• Global Health Security
• Epidemiology
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Zoonotic diseases present a significant and escalating global public health challenge, with developing nations at the forefront.
• Existing governmental structures often struggle to effectively organize responses to zoonotic threats, despite recognition of the problem.
• The concept of One Health emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration, but its practical implementation faces significant hurdles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the organizational strategies for One Health in India, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Rwanda.
• To investigate the pathways of zoonotic disease spillover and epidemic progression.
• To identify effective approaches for addressing zoonotic diseases in the context of global megatrends.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of One Health organizational structures and successes/failures in selected countries.
• Examination of the socio-ecological and developmental factors influencing zoonotic disease emergence.
• Review of crisis response mechanisms and long-term strategic planning for public health.

Main Results:

• Attempts to establish single, comprehensive One Health units have yielded only partial success.
• Effective organization requires addressing not only immediate disease threats but also shaping responses to megatrends like climate change and deforestation.
• The pathways of zoonotic spillover and epidemic amplification are complex and influenced by development models.

Conclusions:

• A singular, overarching organizational unit is insufficient for effectively managing the complex challenge of zoonotic diseases.
• An approach involving multiple, sharply focused units, despite potential duplication and remaining gaps, offers a more promising strategy for success.
• Future organizational models must integrate disease response with proactive strategies addressing underlying drivers of zoonotic risk.