COVID-19 and One Health Governance in Indonesia reveal challenges at the Wildlife Interface

A lacuna of information exists on how to build a One Health system that integrates human, animal and environmental health for the early detection and prevention of emerging infectious diseases. This study aimed to identify and articulate perceptions of practitioners and government stakeholders regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia within a One Health framework. Key findings highlight the ability of local governments to rally stakeholders and form a progressive evidence-based response. While civil society's role is often overlooked, with appropriate government facilitation, it can serve as an effective agent of change on the ground. By adopting a bottom-up approach, this study provides a unique contribution to policy development discourse in line with One Health. The findings also emphasize challenges in the capacity of national and subnational governments to organize multi-actor responses, as well as the role of civil society and civic institutions in policy implementation. Persistent vulnerabilities at the human-wildlife interface were also evident, especially in relation to trade in wildlife, wild meat consumption, and the domestic keeping of wildlife, which have been exacerbated by fragmented coordination and implementation. New policy instruments, such as digital zoonotic disease surveillance, integrated early warning systems, and social forestry present opportunities for mitigating risk. To better address Indonesia's health security concerns in the post-COVID context, there is a need to strengthen One Health integration, enhance participatory risk communication, and align environmental management with health preparedness to mitigate future spill-over risks.