Zambia’s trailblazing efforts in institutionalizing One Health have been resource-saving, experts say, as the country’s multisectoral and collaborative efforts have helped address key challenges, such as zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance, more efficiently.
Despite a plethora of challenges- limited funding, siloed approaches and lack of trust between sectors, and weak data sharing platforms – Zambia is making a loud One Health statement, with just a year to expiry of the current One Health Strategic plan.
To overcome these hurdles, the country has sought to strengthen its political commitment and funding, foster trust and collaboration through regular meetings and joint activities, and develop standardized data-sharing protocols.
In a webinar held on May 29, 2025, titled From Policy to Practice: Operationalizing One Health in Zambia and steered by Bibiana Iraki, Senior Program Officer, ISAAA AfriCenter, two Zambian experts detailed the successes and challenges they have experienced throughout what has been a tortuous, yet exciting, journey.
“These threats that face us – humans, animals, and the environment – are complex and interconnected,” said Prof Musso Munyeme, The Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation, Palabana University, and Country Lead, COHESA. “We cannot possibly run from it – no country is isolated from all others, definitely not Zambia. Countries of the world are interdependent. What happens in one country has impacts far beyond its borders.”
Zambia’s journey started with net-mapping, which was led by ISAAA AfriCenter, and that showed key players and linkages in One Health, with observations that collaboration has been a cornerstone of Zambia’s OH framework, and that Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) plays a very critical role.
Prof Munyeme outlined several health challenges that have needed a multisectoral approach to tackle, and the increasing risk of humans “moving into an interface areas where we interact more with wild animals” and therefore the potential risk of more aggressive spread of zoonotic diseases.
He decried Africa’s inadequacy in tackling these challenges.
“Sustaining some of these initiatives need funding that enhance implementation. But One Health remains greatly marginalized,” he said.
To address this, he insisted the need for Africa to collaborate with organizations and countries that are willing to help eradicate some of the diseases the continent is always trying to beat.
“The probability of a large scale and complex pandemic is a reality, and the world must not lose its guard, which makes the OH approach a necessity.”
Dr Raymond Hamoonga, the National One Health Coordinator, Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), took participants through the entire process of the institutionalization – from the establishment of the ZNPHI, to a May 2022 stakeholder meeting that helped determine the priorities for OH approach in Zambia (and which identified 5 priority areas), after which the National OH Strategic Plan was drafted.
Zambia has come a long way.
“In Zambia’s domestication of the definition of One Health, we discovered that OH easily includes sectors that are way beyond the traditional spheres of animal, human and environmental health,” said Dr Hamoonga.
Many key stakeholders were involved in the decision that led to the document that was finally launched to run a four-year course, with all key line ministries – Health, Fisheries and Livestock, and Green Economy and Environment, signing the document.
The objectives of the Strategic Plan were to strengthen governance and coordination, to enhance surveillance and response systems, to promote research and innovation, and to build capacity and raise awareness.
A One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization Workshop was held to define prioritization zoonotic diseases, with a joint risk assessment done with the help of the quadripartite. (The quadripartite is made up of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)). Several levels of OH Governance, with the lowest at the district levels, were established and diseases such as African trypanasomiasis, anthrax, enteric diseases, viral haemorrhagic fevers (ebola), and rabies identified among key zoonotic diseases prioritized for eradication.
In a statement of intent, Zambia has established a One health lab network in which private and public labs have signed an MoU, and through which they can easily share key resources. A baseline assessment has been undertaken and a lot of labs have either been earmarked for capacitation, or have been capacitated to ensure diagnosis becomes a key pillar on diagnosis of pathogens.
Dr Margaret Karembu, The Director ISAAA AfriCenter and Chair of The Africa Science Dialogue, said that Africa needs to advocate for evidence – based policies developed from scientific evidence, and to do so as soon as now.
“We have a problem in implementation and practice, and so other people pick some of our solutions, localize and implement them. We need to bring to the fore policy, practice and players for a seamless, cohesive functioning,” she said.
Going by evidence from testimonies in the webinar, Zambia is a likely candidate to steal gold in the race for this development.