Advancing One Health: African Union’s Digital Platform Initiative Takes Shape

The recent Technical Workshop on the Development of the African Union Digital One Health platform signifies a significant advancement in Africa’s quest to enhance health governance and management. Taking place from February 26th to 28th, 2024, in Naivasha, Kenya, this workshop united key stakeholders from across the continent to refine and propel the development of the Digital One Health platform.

Among the participants were members of the AU One Health Technical Working Group, specialists in One Health, representatives from Regional Economic Communities, and essential partners such as ILRI, FAO, and GIZ. Over the span of three days, they collaborated to shape the platform prototype for targeted use-cases and finalize the proposed administrative structure.

This workshop builds upon prior discussions and initiatives aimed at addressing the intricate health challenges prevalent in Africa. In recent years, the concept of One Health has gained prominence as an integrated approach to health, emphasizing the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment. Recognizing the necessity for coordinated action, the African Union (AU) initiated the development of a Digital One Health platform for the continent.

Key outputs from preceding meetings and workshops set the agenda for the Technical Workshop, which saw the realization of several significant achievements:
•    Agreement on priority continental zoonoses that informed the formulation of use-cases.
•    Identification and documentation of priority use cases based on user needs and requirements.
•    Development of a prototype for the African Union Digital One Health platform for selected use-cases.
•    Agreement on the continental administrative structure for the proposed African Union Digital One Health platform.

The workshop served as a platform for stakeholders to build upon these outputs, refining both the platform prototype and administrative structure. Through collaborative efforts and interdisciplinary cooperation, participants aimed to accelerate progress towards the implementation of the Digital One Health platform.

As Africa grapples with health challenges exacerbated by factors such as climate change, urbanization, and globalization, the development of the Digital One Health platform represents a critical stride towards improving health outcomes across the continent. By leveraging technology and fostering collaboration, this initiative holds the potential to drive positive change and promote the well-being of people, animals, and the environment.

This event is executed under the auspices of the African Union One Health Data Alliance Africa Project, with funding by BMZ and technical support by GiZ. The Project falls under the jurisdiction of the Animal Health Unit at AU-IBAR.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).