Government Ministers from Zambia and their counterparts from across the region have launched a landmark One Health Regional Call to Action in a special signing ceremony during the first-ever Eastern and Southern Africa Regional One Health Conference (www.ESAfricaOneHealth.com) in Lusaka, Zambia. During the ceremony, Ministers of Health, Agriculture and the Environment jointly pledged their commitment to safeguard the health and well-being of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems within and across SADC Member States by strengthening One Health systems in the region.
The inaugural Eastern and Southern Africa Regional One Health Conference is being hosted by the Government of Zambia and co-organized by SADC, the World Bank Group, and the Quadripartite Alliance, comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (www.FAO.org), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (www.UNEP.org), the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.WHO.int), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) (www.WOAH.org).
Conference co-host and keynote speaker, Honorable Dr. Elijah J. Muchima, Minister of Health of Zambia, said: “For too long we have ignored the overlaps between human, animal and environmental health and approached each sector separately. Not only has this hampered our collective health security, but it is also an inefficient use of precious public resources. The first ever Eastern and Southern Regional One Health Conference inspires us to embrace a smarter, more sustainable One Health approach. I urge everyone to join the Regional One Health Call-to-Action and help us advance the health of people, animals and the planet together.”
Over the course of the two-day high-level regional conference, government ministers, health sector experts, development partners, and youth and community representatives will discuss collaboration across human, animal, and environmental health, with a focus on addressing transboundary and cross-sector health threats such as infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), foodborne illnesses, and climate-induced shocks.
The Conference agenda includes thematic sessions on topics such as leveraging One Health for economic resilience, building a next generation One Health workforce, circular food systems, integrated surveillance, laboratory resilience, and conservation and climate.
It will also feature an interactive Innovation Marketplace, where leading researchers and entrepreneurs from across the world will be showcasing their unique One Health solutions, including five Zambian organizations.
Commenting on the conference, Achim Fock, Zambia Country Manager, The World Bank Group, said: “The region’s commitment to stronger coordination, integrated systems, and community-centred solutions shows that effective health security is achievable and essential for sustainable development. The World Bank remains committed to supporting governments as they build resilient, efficient, and inclusive One Health systems that protect lives and livelihoods across the region.”
One Health is a unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.
The Regional One Health Joint Call-to-Action is now published online (www.ESAfricaOneHealth.com), where any member of the public can add their name and support the One Health cause.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Regional One Health Conference Eastern and Southern Africa.
For interview requests, please contact:
Zambia National Public Health Institute
Dr Doreen Shempela
doreenshempela@gmail.com
Conference
Winnie Kariuki
Global Health Strategies
wkariuki@globalhealthstrategies.com
