Stakeholders from Somalia, Malawi, and Zambia have validated the findings of country-specific One Health stakeholder net-mapping exercises conducted by ISAAA AfriCenter under the Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) project. The validation meetings, held between 18 and 23 June 2026, provided a platform for reviewing stakeholder relationships, refining recommendations, and identifying pathways to strengthen One Health governance and institutionalization across the three countries.
The stakeholder net-mapping approach, developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), is a participatory tool that helps visualize relationships, influence, and interactions among actors operating within complex systems such as One Health. The exercises sought to identify stakeholders that influence the integration and effective implementation of One Health-related policies and to understand how these actors collaborate, coordinate, build capacity, advocate, and mobilize resources within their respective countries.
Somalia: Strengthening Institutional Foundations
The Somalia validation meeting, held virtually on 18 June 2026, brought together 47 participants from government ministries, academia, civil society, development organizations, and international partners. Participants reviewed findings showing that United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, and key line ministries are among the most influential actors in Somalia’s One Health landscape. The analysis also revealed that many relationships remain fragmented, underscoring the need for stronger institutional arrangements and formal coordination mechanisms. Participants emphasized the importance of establishing a national One Health framework, strengthening multisectoral collaboration, and securing sustainable financing to support long-term implementation.
Malawi: Moving from Sectoral Silos to Integrated Governance
The Malawi validation meeting, held on 23 June 2026, convened 45 stakeholders representing government institutions, academia, research organizations, and development partners. The findings revealed that the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) and the Ministry of Health are among the most influential actors in the country’s One Health network. However, participants noted that One Health activities remain fragmented and are often driven by sector-specific priorities rather than integrated approaches. The validation discussions highlighted several governance challenges, including the absence of a clear coordinating authority, weak cross-sectoral integration, and limited institutional ownership beyond the human and animal health sectors. Stakeholders recommended establishing a formal governance framework, positioning One Health coordination within a higher-level government office, and creating a dedicated budget line to support sustainable implementation.
Zambia: Building on Existing Coordination Structures
The Zambia validation meeting, also held on 23 June 2026, brought together 41 participants from government ministries, research institutions, academia, and civil society. The findings identified the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) as the most influential actor within the country’s One Health ecosystem, with strong linkages to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, development partners, and academia. While participants acknowledged Zambia’s relatively strong coordination structures, they also identified several gaps, including limited engagement of community-level actors, the private sector, and certain regulatory institutions. Recommendations included broadening stakeholder representation, strengthening sustainable financing mechanisms, and elevating One Health coordination to a higher level of government to promote whole-of-government ownership and action.
Informing Future One Health Action
Across all three countries, stakeholders agreed that effective institutionalization of One Health requires formal governance structures, sustainable financing, stronger multisectoral coordination, and meaningful engagement of all relevant sectors and communities. With the completion of the validation meetings in Somalia, Malawi, and Zambia, all 12 COHESA participating countries have now validated their stakeholder net-mapping findings, marking a significant milestone for the project. The exercises have generated a rich body of evidence on the actors, relationships, opportunities, and bottlenecks shaping One Health governance across Eastern and Southern Africa. By making relationships, influence, and coordination gaps visible, stakeholder net-mapping is helping countries move from fragmented sectoral responses toward more integrated and resilient One Health systems capable of addressing complex health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface. The validated findings from the twelve countries will also provide an important foundation for cross-country learning, regional collaboration, and the co-creation of practical solutions to strengthen One Health governance across Africa.