Senegal workshop advances collaboration and sets priorities for strengthening One Health in West Africa

In a concerted effort to enhance health security in West Africa, stakeholders from the region’s One Health platforms gathered for a training workshop in Senegal on 22–26 July 2024. Jointly organized by the CGIAR One Health Initiative and the One Health Research, Education and Outreach Centre in Africa (OHRECA), which is led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the workshop brought together participants from Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. Their goal was to address regional health challenges and strengthen collaboration by building on past evaluations.

The groundwork for this workshop was set by ILRI's evaluation of One Health platforms in June 2021, assessing efforts of national One Health platforms in Burkina Faso and Mali, alongside One Health projects of Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières in Senegal and the Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU) project in Burkina Faso. These insights paved the way for an August 2022 workshop in Ouagadougou, which presented the evaluation results to stakeholders, enhanced networking and set the stage for the robust collaborative efforts discussed in 2024.

During the workshop, Abdrahmane Wane, ILRI’s regional representative for West Africa, emphasized the power of collaboration: ‘Our collective strength lies in our ability to bridge sectoral gaps and turn knowledge into action. That’s the essence of One Health.

This was echoed by Bassirou Fall, representing the permanent secretary of the National High Council for Global Health Security One Health of Senegal: ‘True security lies in our unity; this workshop exemplifies our commitment to a safer, healthier future through robust international cooperation against zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).’

Participants focused on topical areas including food safety, disease surveillance and AMR, employing an interactive format that encouraged deep engagement with each theme: foundations of One Health, governance structures and practical application in local contexts. They formed three groups, each tackling a core challenge through plenary discussions and hands-on group work.

‘ILRI is deeply committed to supporting African nations in their One Health endeavours,’ stated Hung Nguyen, ILRI’s Health Program co-leader and CGIAR One Health Initiative lead. ‘Our focus is not only on addressing current health challenges but also on building sustainable systems that will endure future threats.’

From left: Hung Nguyen (ILRI Health Program co-lead), Bassirou Fall (Senegal’s National Council for Global Health Security - One Health) and Abdrahmane Wane (ILRI’s regional representative for West Africa) during the opening ceremony (photo credit: ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga).

Effective collaboration and practical solutions

The workshop featured interactive discussions on several key areas crucial for strengthening One Health initiatives. Participants emphasized intersectoral collaboration, advocating for robust monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure the effectiveness of initiatives. Accountability was a recurring theme, with consensus on the need for clear systems and metrics to track progress and outcomes.

Regarding governance, the need for inclusive and transparent decision-making processes was underscored. Participants agreed that governance serves as the backbone of any successful initiative and stressed the importance of frameworks that clearly define roles, responsibilities and resource allocation to prevent collaboration from falling apart.

The discussions also highlighted the critical role of stakeholder engagement in strengthening One Health efforts. The importance of mobilizing resources and building effective networks was discussed extensively. Participants noted that data sharing and inclusivity are key to building trust and recommended developing clear action plans to ensure all stakeholders are committed and actively invest in the One Health approach.

These discussions collectively pointed toward a unified direction for enhancing health security through collaborative efforts, setting a strong foundation for actionable changes and sustainable practices in the region.

A section of workshop participants (photo credit: ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga).

From theory to action: Enacting change

Throughout the sessions, the Theory of Change framework helped participants craft actionable solutions for challenges like rabies control, AMR and zoonotic disease surveillance, tailored to the unique needs of each sector. By the workshop's conclusion, participants had not only deepened their understanding of One Health but had also pinpointed specific actions for future collaboration. Key priorities included:

• Food safety: Integrating One Health principles in agricultural practices to ensure safer food supply chains;
• AMR: Coordinating efforts across sectors to develop strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance; and
• Health security: Improving surveillance and early warning systems to enhance regional health security against emerging threats.

Bernard Bett, OHRECA lead at ILRI, encapsulated the workshop’s spirit in his closing remarks: ‘This gathering marks the beginning of a new phase in One Health collaboration across West Africa. Now, we must translate these ideas into sustainable change on the ground.’

Bassirou Bonfoh, director of Afrique One-ASPIRE at Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS) and the session chair, reiterated this sentiment: ‘The success of this workshop is in the relationships we’ve built, the knowledge we’ve shared, and the commitment we’ve made to work together for a healthier future.’

Michel Dione, coordinator of the ILRI Health Program in West Africa, highlited the importance of the next steps, which involve supporting the country One Health platforms in strategically developing their action plans based on the Theory of Change.

The capacity-building workshop in Dakar was a critical step forward in strengthening One Health platforms across West Africa. It was a week marked by intense collaboration, innovative thinking, and a shared commitment to a healthier future. As one participant aptly put it, ‘The health of our world depends on our ability to work together—One Health isn’t just a model, it’s a mindset.’

One Health workshop participants in Senegal (photo credit: ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga).

This work is supported by the CGIAR Initiative on One Health and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through OHRECA. We thank all funders who supported this work through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund.

Further reading

• ILRI workshop brings together One Health experts in west Africa to identify areas of collaboration
• One Health gains momentum in Africa but room exists for improvement
• West African countries One Health platforms evaluation and launch: Workshop report
• A global analysis of One Health Networks and the proliferation of One Health collaborations
• The One Health landscape in sub-Saharan African countries