Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Aug 20:96:26.
doi: 10.1186/s42506-021-00085-y. eCollection 2021 Dec.

COVID-19: an opportunity to re-evaluate the implementation of a One Health approach to tackling emerging infections in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries

Olaniyi Ayobami  1 , Godwin Mark  2   3 , Zaharat Kadri-Alabi  4 , Chioma Rita Achi  5   6 , Joy Chinwendu Jacob  7
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19: an opportunity to re-evaluate the implementation of a One Health approach to tackling emerging infections in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries

Olaniyi Ayobami et al. J Egypt Public Health Assoc. .

Abstract

Background: One Health (OH) has resurfaced in the light of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. It has been accepted by many local and global health authorities as a suitable approach for preventing and responding to infectious disease outbreaks including pandemics.

Main body: One Health (OH) is a multisectoral and interdisciplinary framework for managing the animal, human, and ecosystem determinants of health. Globally, the majority of emerging infections in humans including SARS-Cov2-the causative agent of COVID-19-are transmitted from animals through environmental contacts in the last few decades. Yet, even when the biological and social interactions at the human, animal, and environmental interface that drive spillover of zoonotic diseases have been proven, OH strategies to address associated complex health challenges today are still rudimentary in many national health systems. Despite the disproportionate burden of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, OH is minimally incorporated into routine disease control and national health security programs. Challenges include poor policy support for OH in sub-Saharan Africa, and where some form of policy framework does exist, there are significant implementation bottlenecks. In this paper, we identified ideological, technical, operational, and economic barriers to OH implementation in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, and highlighted possible recommendations across these domains. In order to yield sustainable benefits, a relevant OH policy approach in the sub-Saharan African health systems must derive from a buy-in of the critical mass of stakeholders in the society.

Conclusion: The implementation of sustainable OH approaches as a countermeasure to recurring emerging infections is a developmental priority for sub-Saharan African countries. A deep understanding of the local context must be leveraged to develop integrative OH solutions that are bold, rooted in science, and proven to be compatible with the level of development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: Emerging infections; Nigeria; One Health; Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.

References

    1. Bidaisee S, Macpherson CN. Zoonoses and one health: a review of the literature. J Parasitol Res. 2014;2014:874345. doi: 10.1155/2014/874345. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Iken O, Abakporo U, Ayobami O, Attoye T. COVID-19: Travel health and the implications for sub-Saharan Africa. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2020;35:101645. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101645. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. World Organisation for Animal Health . Responding to the COVID-19 crisis : the contribution of the veterinary profession. 2020.
    1. Bardosh KL, Scoones JC, Grace D, Kalema-Zikusoka G, Jones KE, de Balogh K, et al. Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa? Philos Trans R Soc Lond Ser B Biol Sci. 2017;372(1725):20160172. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nyatanyi T, Wilkes M, McDermott H, Nzietchueng S, Gafarasi I, Mudakikwa A, et al. Implementing One Health as an integrated approach to health in Rwanda. BMJ Glob Health. 2017;2(1):e000121. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2016-000121. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources