ISAAA AfriCenter continued efforts to enhance multi-sectoral collaborations and integrated efforts towards improvement of planetary health. Our team led the Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) partners from Rwanda and Uganda in conducting a One Health Stakeholder net-mapping workshop from 11th – 13th July and 5th – 7th July 2023 respectively. The aim of the workshop was to identify key stakeholders in One Health landscapes of Rwanda and Uganda, define the nature of their interactions and chart strategies to enable the key and influential actors in the landscape work together towards a National One Health goal.
In attendance were 25 and 15 actors from Rwanda and Uganda respectively. These actors came from the purposively selected key line ministries responsible for Human health, animal health, environment and education. In addition, actors from the private sector and non-government research Institutions were also present for both countries. The discussions from actors who are experienced/knowledgeable about the One Health practice in their countries centered around the achievement of an optimally holistic national health system. This will be achieved by increasing collaborations across disciplines in government sectors and among other actors responsible for a healthy ecosystem.
Stakeholders in the meeting proposed strategies that will guide the engagement of key missing actors to achieve a holistic National One Health goal. The next steps involve validation of the findings and recommendations by a larger group of experts from key sectors before putting together a report to inform policy towards development of a national One Health agenda.