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Operationalizing One Health in Saudi Arabia: a mixed-methods framework for national implementation.
Hessah Ibrahim Al Suwaidan1, Asma Abdulaziz AlHossini2, Sarah Ibrahim Alsuwaidan3
1Health Information Management and Technology Department, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Frontiers in Public Health
|July 6, 2026
Summary
One Health (OH) awareness and collaboration are low in Saudi Arabia, hindering zoonotic disease control. A proposed national framework aims to improve policy integration and intersectoral cooperation for better public health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Veterinary Medicine
- Environmental Science
Background:
- The One Health (OH) approach integrates human, animal, and environmental health, crucial for addressing zoonotic infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- Saudi Arabia's OH system faces challenges in policy integration despite international focus on zoonotic diseases and AMR.
- Existing OH initiatives in Saudi Arabia require examination to identify areas for improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess awareness, collaboration, and implementation of the One Health approach in Saudi Arabia.
- To identify institutional roles and challenges within the Saudi health system regarding OH.
- To propose a national framework for effective OH implementation in Saudi Arabia.
Main Methods:
- An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed.
- A cross-sectional survey (n=400) assessed OH awareness, collaboration, and implementation among health professionals and students.
- Semi-structured interviews explored systemic barriers and facilitators to OH, informing a national operational structure.
Main Results:
- Low OH awareness (81% had no prior knowledge) and collaboration were observed, with poor consensus on institutional roles for zoonotic diseases.
- Implementation of OH was correlated with awareness levels (R²=0.167).
- Qualitative data revealed challenges in intersectoral collaboration due to government silos and institutional dispersion, leading to a proposed multi-level OH framework.
Conclusions:
- The One Health approach in Saudi Arabia is underdeveloped, marked by low awareness, institutional misalignment, and fragmented governance.
- A mixed-methods evidence-based operational model is proposed to guide policy, enhance collaboration, and streamline national OH action plans.
- The proposed framework aims to foster intersectoral collaboration and improve the national implementation of One Health principles.
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