Strengthening One Health Implementation through the Joint Plan of Action

Global health threats are becoming increasingly complex, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated, multi-sectoral responses. Challenges such as zoonotic disease outbreaks, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety risks, and environmental degradation transcend borders and sectors, threatening health, livelihoods, trade and ecosystem integrity.

The One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA 2022–2026), developed by the Quadripartite Alliance (FAO, WHO, WOAH, and UNEP), provides a global framework to address these interconnected challenges. Structured around six action tracks, the OH JPA promotes integrated strategies to:

• Enhance One Health’s Capacity
• Reduce risks from zoonotic epidemics and pandemics
• Control and eliminate endemic zoonoses
• Tackle AMR
• Ensure food safety
• Promote integrated environmental health

This regional workshop will provide a platform for countries to align national strategies with the OH JPA, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and co-develop a regional roadmap for advancing One Health initiatives.

Objectives

• Provide an overview and update on the OH JPA and its implementation framework
• Showcase national and regional case studies relevant to the six OH JPA action tracks
• Facilitate group work to identify opportunities and challenges for implementing the OH JPA
• Strengthen collaboration between sectors and partners, supporting alignment with national One Health strategies
• Defining a regional roadmap to scale up OH JPA-related actions

Expected outcomes

• Greater understanding of the OH JPA and its practical applications
• Exchange of regional experiences and lessons learned
• Map of national priorities across the six action tracks
• Clear steps for integrating OH JPA into national One Health plans and platforms
• Strengthen regional collaboration and intersectoral coordination

Participants

The workshop will bring together representatives from Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, along with WOAH staff and representatives from regional organisations, including FAO, WHO, UNEP and AOAD.

Target audience: Veterinary and public health authorities, epidemiologists, environmental specialists, academics, and representatives from regional and international organisations.

This event will serve as a key platform for aligning regional efforts with the OH JPA, strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration, and supporting countries in building resilient systems to prevent and respond to health threats at the human-animal-environment interface.

Agenda

Opening Remarks

The Regional One Health Workshop opened with keynote addresses that underscored the importance of collaboration and regional solidarity in advancing the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA).

Read the opening remarks from:

• Dr Fajer Al Saloom, WOAH Vice-President and Delegate of Bahrain (EN)

• Dr Ahmad Almajali, WOAH Regional Representative for the Middle East (AR)

• Dr Markos Tibbo, Senior Livestock Development Officer, FAO (Quadripartite Partner) (EN)

Panel Discussion: The Value of Intersectoral Coordination in One Health

Following the opening session, participants engaged in a high-level panel discussion on “The Value of Intersectoral Coordination in One Health.”
Moderated by Dr Fajer Al Saloom, WOAH Vice-President and Delegate of Bahrain, the panel gathered representatives from the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Environment, alongside experts from the private sector and the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD).

Discussions focused on how integrated coordination across sectors can translate the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA) into tangible regional progress.
Panelists shared national experiences, practical mechanisms for intersectoral collaboration, and insights on sustaining effective One Health governance in the Middle East.

Take a look at highlights from the discussion!

Presentations and Final Report

Day 1 – Setting the Scene: One Health and the Joint Plan of Action

The first day of the workshop set the foundation for discussions on the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA), its structure, and its relevance to regional priorities.
Presentations included:

• Why One Health and Why Now? – Dr Chadia Wannous

• Overview of OH JPA: Vision, Structure & Action Tracks – Dr Heba Mahrous

• Recommendations on One Health – Dr Fayçal Meziani

• Update on One Health Regional Quadripartite (QPT) Achievements – Dr Ahmed Saad

• Implementation of the Egyptian One Health Strategic Plan – Dr Hend Ibrahim Mahmoud Abd Elmaabod

Day 2 – From Strategy to Action: Regional and National Experiences

The second day focused on translating strategies into practice, with countries and experts sharing practical experiences and lessons learned in implementing the OH JPA.
Highlights included:

• Capacities & Zoonotic Threats: Bahrain’s Experience in Improving Preparedness and Emergency Response to Threats at the Human–Animal–Environment Interface – Dr Basma Al Saffar

• Lebanon Preparedness Plan for the Prevention & Control of HPAI – Dr Sirius Al Hajj Ahmad

• PROVNA & Rabies Control in North Africa – Dr Francesco Valentini

• RabTool Project: Strengthening Collaboration and Communication in Rabies Control – Dr Nadia Brik

• One Health Under Pressure: AMR, HPAI in Dairy Cattle, and the Future of FMD Vaccination – Dr Mohamed Alnahrawy

• The AMR-MPTF Tunisia Project: A National Experience, Shared Lessons for Global Action – Dr Nadia Brik

• UAE – One Health in Action – Dr Shamma Alsabri

Day 3 – Shaping the Way Forward

The final day brought participants together to consolidate discussions and formulate next steps for regional and national collaboration.
The session concluded with Regional and National Level Closing Recommendations, setting a roadmap for the future implementation of the One Health Joint Plan of Action.

Media and Resources

• Preventing the next Pandemic | PDF
• Municipalities Minister inaugurates WOAH Regional Workshop
• Municipalities Minister receives WOAH Regional Representative