The significance of Africa’s One Health and Climate Health strategies

In a significant move for public health and environmental sustainability, the African Union-InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have jointly launched two key frameworks: the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prevention and Control Strategy (2025–2030) and the Africa CDC Strategic Framework on Climate Change and Health (2025–2029)

These strategies represent a unified, cross-sectoral approach to combating the intertwined challenges of zoonotic diseases and climate change across the continent.

Speaking at the launch event in Addis Ababa, Huyam Salih, director of AU-IBAR, called for action, urging stakeholders to move beyond mere declarations:“Let us move beyond declarations—now is the time for united, cross-sectoral action. I call on all stakeholders to embrace the One Health Strategy as a continental imperative. Together, we must forge a new era of health security, where animal, human, and environmental health are protected as one. Africa’s resilience depends on it, and our future demands it.”

The strategies were developed through a collaborative and evidence-based process that involved Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), technical partners, and civil society organisations. The overarching goal is to create a resilient Africa that addresses risks proactively rather than reactively.

Raji Tajudeen, the deputy director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention echoed this sentiment, stressing the urgency of moving from rhetoric to results: “These frameworks are more than strategy documents; they are Africa’s collective commitment to protecting our people, our ecosystems, and our future. We must move from rhetoric to results. The time to act is now, and the responsibility rests with all of us.”

Mekdes Daba, Minister of Health, Ethiopia highlighted the interconnectedness of health, ecosystems, and economies across Africa, stating: “Our health, ecosystems, and economies are deeply intertwined. We cannot protect one without investing in all. This is a call for action, not another declaration.”

With more than 75% of emerging human diseases originating from animals and climate change intensifying health risks, the new frameworks seek to strengthen surveillance, improve early warning systems, and integrate public, animal, and environmental health responses. These strategies offer both a roadmap and a call for decisive, coordinated action for a healthier, more resilient Africa.