A half-day workshop at the BIRD LAB, within the School of Public Health at Addis Ababa University, brought together health journalists and scientists to deepen understanding and strengthen collaboration around the One Health (OH) approach. More than just a knowledge-sharing event, the Media Café aimed to lay the groundwork for a sustainable platform where experts and media can engage regularly on pressing health issues at the human-animal-environment interface.
The initiative focused on enhancing communication and public engagement on One Health by encouraging continuous dialogue between media professionals and experts. It emphasized the need for accurate, impactful storytelling that captures the complexity and urgency of interconnected health challenges—from zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance to environmental health and food safety.
Central to the event’s mission was the vision of institutionalizing these interactions through the establishment of a national collaborative network: the Ethiopia Network for One Health Advocacy (ENOH). ENOH is envisioned as a space for ongoing collaboration, knowledge exchange, and coordinated communication efforts that amplify One Health messages across sectors.
The organizers underscored the importance of long-term continuity by hosting the event at BIRD LAB (Behavioral Health Insights Research and Design). BIRD LAB is positioned not just as a venue, but as a living laboratory for science communication and innovation, making it an ideal home for recurring journalist-scientist engagements.
Throughout the workshop, participants reflected on the need for shared responsibility, creative approaches to storytelling, and a renewed commitment to public education around One Health.
The session closed with consensus around next steps: strengthening the foundation for ENOH, formalizing a coordination structure, and holding regular media cafés as a mechanism for sustained engagement.
The Media Café, supported by several partners, reflects a growing recognition that One Health challenges require collaborative, cross-disciplinary solutions and that the media plays a critical role in shaping public understanding and policy discourse.
OneHealth is not a siloed discipline but an integrated approach that recognizes the interdependence of people, animals, and ecosystems. Through initiatives like ENOH and platforms like BIRD LAB, Ethiopia is taking a bold step toward making that integration a reality in both practice and public narrative.
By Ednah Wanjiru