IHR-PVS National Bridging Workshop for Somalia: An interactive and participatory approach for operationalizing the One Health roadmap

Osman, AY; Saidouni, A; Wambua, LW; Mahrous, H; Malik, SMMR; Lubogo, M; van de Weerdt, R; Adam, AH; Mohamed, HH; Al Makhzoumi, K; Ali, GA; Nur, MO; Fevre, S; Mucheru, G; Njue, S; Mosindo, AO; Sandhaus, K; Wigand, RC; Standley, C; Sorrell, E; Kock, R; Guitian, J; Zumla, A; Dar, O; Mor, SM

Abstract

Background: National Bridging Workshops (NBW) are a tool for reviewing collaboration gaps between line ministries relevant to the One Health framework. Methods: The NBW for Somalia was held on November 11-13, 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya with support from WHO and WOAH. Participants included representatives from the Somali government both national and sub-national (including Ministry of Health; Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range; Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation; and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change). Other participants included representatives from nongovernmental organizations, academia and the quadripartite. Structured sessions guided participants through a step-by-step process, starting from identifying gaps to collectively developing solutions. The design of these sessions aimed to foster active engagement and collaboration with the outcomes of each session contributing to the subsequent one. Results: A total of 60 participants partook in the exercise, representing human health (35%), animal health (27%), agriculture (13%), environmental health (7%) and other relevant sectors (18%). Eighty-three percent of participants represented the national level and 17% the sub-national level. The collaborative effort yielded a joint roadmap comprising 36 activities and 11 objectives. Priority objectives included: development of national joint surveillance systems for selected One Health threats (41/47 votes, or 87% of the total votes); establishment of a high-level ministerial system to govern and coordinate One Health activities (30/47; 64%); and establishment of emergency funding structures for priority zoonotic diseases along with development of a 5-year national investment plan for One Health (27/47; 57%). A total of 94% of activities required low or moderate cost to be implemented, and 90% of activities were identified to have a likely high impact on multisectoral collaboration. The timeline for implementing the activities is projected to span one to two years. Conclusion: The workshop promoted high-level engagement, national ownership, and leadership in addressing health threats at the human-animal-environment interface. The resulting co-created roadmap will be integrated into the National Action Plan for Health Security, supporting ongoing One Health efforts in Somalia.

Citation

Osman, A., Saidouni, A., Wambua, L., Mahrous, H., Malik, S., Lubogo, M., van de Weerdt, R., Adam, A., Mohamed, H., Al Makhzoumi, K., Ali, G., Nur, M., Fevre, S., Mucheru, G., Njue, S., Mosindo, A., Sandhaus, K., Wigand, R., Standley, C., Sorrell, E., …Mor, S. (2024). IHR-PVS National Bridging Workshop for Somalia: An interactive and participatory approach for operationalizing the One Health roadmap. One Health, 19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100858

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 11, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jul 14, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Dec 2, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 2, 2024
• Print ISSN: 2352-7714
• Electronic ISSN: 2352-7714
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 19
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100858
• Keywords: National Bridging Workshop; One Health; Somalia; Health systems strengthening; Multisectoral coordination; International health regulation (IHR); Performance of veterinary services (PVS); VETERINARY SERVICES PATHWAY; PERFORMANCE; GOVERNANCE