GFO Issue 468, Article Number: 7
ABSTRACT
The article highlights a WHO initiative, the National Bridging Workshop (NBW), that is building global health security through the implementation of the "One Health" approach. It describes how the NBW program breaks down human, animal, and environmental health sector silos in over 60 countries. From analysis of data to national case studies from Ukraine to Tunisia, the article shows how these workshops create actionable blueprints that translate to increased multi-sectoral coordination, coordinated outbreak response, and tangible deliverables like mobilized funds and reduced mortality from zoonotic diseases like rabies and anthrax.
In a world still scarred by the memory of COVID-19 and continually rattled by outbreaks of diseases like anthrax, avian influenza, and Rift Valley fever, a powerful solution is taking root, moving the "One Health" concept - the idea that the well-being of people, animals, and our environment are deeply connected - from a lofty ideal into life-saving action. It’s called the National Bridging Workshop (NBW), and it’s all about getting everyone on the same page.
A WHO-organized virtual meeting on 29 October 2025, entitled “Strengthening One Health through the National Bridging Workshop Program,” convened a global panel of experts with frontline “catalysts” to demonstrate how this initiative is systematically breaking down the silos between human, animal, and environmental health sectors. The goal, simple in theory but complex in practice, stands thus: to ensure that if a disease from animals emerges, the response is unified in its swiftness and effectiveness, stopping localized outbreaks from becoming global crises.
“The majority of epidemics and emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature, which means originating from animals and affecting humans,” stated Stella Chungong, Director from the Department of Health Emergency Preparedness at WHO, in her opening remarks. “This reality underscores the urgent need for the One Health approach.”
From confusion to coordination: The genesis of the NBW
The NBW program was born from a stark lesson learned during past zoonotic disease outbreaks. Stephane de la Rocque, Unit Head for Country Assessment, Planning and Readiness at WHO, and a key architect of the program, illustrated this with a telling anecdote. He described a press conference during a Rift Valley fever outbreak where ministers from the health and agriculture sectors stood side-by-side, delivering dangerously conflicting messages.
“One of them was saying that the animals are dangerous and the meat and the milk should not be eaten, while the other saying exactly the opposite,” Stephane recounted. “So at the end, it creates a lot of confusion. This could have been avoided if better coordination had been established beforehand.”
The solution, the NBW, acts as a bridge between two critical global frameworks: the International Health Regulations (IHR) for human health and the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) pathway for animal health. These systems existed in parallel for years, which caused gaps and inefficiencies. The NBW gathers officials from all relevant sectors for a structured, three-day workshop where they use a card-based exercise to visually map their coordination strengths and weaknesses across various diseases and functions like surveillance, risk assessment, and laboratory capacity.
“It's interesting because we start to see that it's not only a problem of one disease, it's a problem that is more generic,” Stephane explained, pointing to a matrix of red and yellow cards that reveal systemic collaboration gaps.
From this diagnostic, countries develop a joint, actionable “roadmap” - a prioritized plan with concrete activities to improve multi-sectoral collaboration. This roadmap is then integrated into the country’s National Action Plan for Health Security, ensuring it is aligned with global obligations and funding opportunities.
The statistics behind the achievement: A tailored, country-led approach
The size of NBW’s influence is immense. As of October 2025, 66 countries had conducted workshops. Carmen Alfonso, an NBW Consultant, presented a landmark analysis of 51 of the resultant roadmaps, the first systematic overview of what countries themselves identify as their top One Health priorities.
The top three activities most frequently included in national roadmaps were:
- Conducting simulation exercises to test joint response.
- Developing electronic data and information sharing platforms between sectors.
- Creating guidelines for joint outbreak investigation and response.
Perhaps the most striking finding from Alfonso’s analysis was the absence of a one-size-fits-all model. Statistical analyses, including hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis, revealed no clear regional patterns.
“The roadmaps are tailored to each national context, with countries developing a unique set of activities to meet their One Health needs,” Alfonso stated. “Geographic proximity does not seem to influence the types of activities that countries want to implement.”
This tailored approach is a core strength of the program. Despite the diversity, the analysis found that a third of roadmap activities are shared between countries, creating fertile ground for cross-border learning and collaboration - a function actively supported by the program’s network of NBW “catalysts.”
From blueprint to battlefield: Country catalysts in action
The webinar truly came to life as catalysts from Ukraine, Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tunisia shared their stories. They weren't just talking about policies and roadmaps; they were sharing real-life tales of how building bridges between ministries is making their countries safer. Here's their on-the-ground testimonials of the NBW’s impact.
Ukraine: Finding strength in a network during crisis
For Olena Kuriata, a One Heath Officer at WHO Ukraine, the NBW was a lifeline. Conducted despite the dual challenges of a pandemic and a war, the workshop gave her team a clear-eyed view of their weaknesses and a practical plan to address them.
"We didn't just identify gaps, we used the roadmap to act," she shared.
This wasn't just paperwork. The plan led to a united front against rabies, with human and animal health experts jointly creating public awareness posters and videos. When the threat of bird flu loomed, they used their NBW lessons to run a cross-government simulation, practicing their response before a potential crisis hit. Perhaps most importantly, the NBW connected them to a global "catalyst family"- a support network of experts she now leans on for advice and solidarity.
Cambodia: Weaving One Health into the fabric of government
In Cambodia, the NBW helped strengthen the country's existing One Health structure. It was like providing a detailed blueprint for a house that was already being built. According to Nov Vandarith, a NBW Catalyst at WHO Cambodia, the workshop pinpointed 38 specific activities to improve collaboration.
The result? A wave of new, coordinated national plans for everything from health security to flu response. The person leading this charge, a dedicated "NBW catalyst," described their role as incredibly varied - one day they might be developing guidance documents, and the next, they could be supporting field teams during an outbreak, ensuring everyone is speaking the same language, both literally and figuratively.
Uganda: A joint mission to stop an anthrax outbreak
Alice Namatovu, an NBW Catalyst from the Foad and Agriculture Organization in Uganda brought the impact of the NBW to life with a story from the field. When anthrax surfaced in a rural community, the old way of working might have seen slow, separate responses from health and veterinary teams.
But things were different this time. "With the National Bridging Workshop, that promoted collaboration," Alice explained.
A single, joint team was dispatched immediately. They met with local leaders, visited farms together, and advised on the safe burial of dead animals. Crucially, they didn’t just investigate - they arrived with vaccines and were able to protect the surrounding livestock. Such seamless cooperation, from investigation to vaccination, showed how this spirit of teamwork within the NBW will very directly save livelihoods and lives.
Ethiopia: Rebooting a stagnated program and mobilizing the masses
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans gather dust. In Ethiopia, Mohamed Ibrahim Abdikadir, an NBW Catalyst, found that most of the activities that were developed for their NBW in 2018 had stalled due to budget and technical limitations. He stepped in as a catalyst to help breathe life into the roadmap.
His efforts paid off dramatically. The country developed a new, all-inclusive One Health strategy and, in a major win, secured over $60 million from the World Bank's Pandemic Fund to put it into action. The collaboration didn't stop at the border - Ethiopia now leads high-level talks with Kenya and Somalia, proving that health security is a team sport that extends beyond any single country.
Tunisia: From national plan to regional leader
Tunisia's case demonstrates how a national process can catalyze regional change. Following their NBW, there was increased political will at country level. The Minister of Health took the lead, and Tunisia securely hosted a large regional One Health conference, and from this an informal high-level regional agreement, the "Carthage Agreement," was established, a high-level regional commitment to the strategy. This leadership was put to the test during a severe outbreak of Rift Valley Fever. "The National One Health Network was rapidly mobilized," shared Kaouther Oukaili, the NBW catalyst. By training health workers, launching public campaigns, and coordinating human and animal vaccination, they reduced the number of human deaths from 10 in a year to just two the following year. In fitting recognition of this progress, Tunisia’s Minister of Health was recently awarded a One Health award - the culmination of a nation that stopped talking about collaboration and began to live it.
The road ahead: Expanding the tent
Towards the end of the meeting, the conversation turned to the future, specifically on integrating other One Health aspects like antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate change more fully into the NBW methodology.
Stephane acknowledged the challenge and the opportunity. “The idea was to help the different parties to discuss together around a common topic… We are not talking about developing a global plan for One Health,” he clarified, emphasizing the NBW’s focused purpose on fostering collaboration around existing legal frameworks like the IHR and PVS.
He noted that including the environmental sector, now formally represented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in the Quadripartite alliance, has been a historical challenge but is improving. Alfonso confirmed this, stating, “When the UNEP team is actively involved… we can see that the roadmap reflects more activities that address the upstream prevention of zoonotic disease.”
At the end of the meeting, one thing became clear: the path to pandemic prevention is not a secret. It is paved with cooperation, self-assurance, and concrete, country-led plans. The National Bridging Workshop, facilitated by its global network of passionate catalysts, is providing the tools and the blueprints to build that path, one country, one outbreak, and one shared success at a time. In a world of evolving health threats, this systematic bridging of sectors may be one of the most effective defenses humanity has yet built.
In a world still scarred by the memory of COVID-19 and continually rattled by outbreaks of diseases like anthrax, avian influenza, and Rift Valley fever, a powerful solution is taking root, moving the "One Health" concept - the idea that the well-being of people, animals, and our environment are deeply connected - from a lofty ideal into life-saving action. It’s called the National Bridging Workshop (NBW), and it’s all about getting everyone on the same page.
A WHO-organized virtual meeting on 29 October 2025, entitled “Strengthening One Health through the National Bridging Workshop Program,” convened a global panel of experts with frontline “catalysts” to demonstrate how this initiative is systematically breaking down the silos between human, animal, and environmental health sectors. The goal, simple in theory but complex in practice, stands thus: to ensure that if a disease from animals emerges, the response is unified in its swiftness and effectiveness, stopping localized outbreaks from becoming global crises.
“The majority of epidemics and emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature, which means originating from animals and affecting humans,” stated Stella Chungong, Director from the Department of Health Emergency Preparedness at WHO, in her opening remarks. “This reality underscores the urgent need for the One Health approach.”
From confusion to coordination: The genesis of the NBW
The NBW program was born from a stark lesson learned during past zoonotic disease outbreaks. Stephane de la Rocque, Unit Head for Country Assessment, Planning and Readiness at WHO, and a key architect of the program, illustrated this with a telling anecdote. He described a press conference during a Rift Valley fever outbreak where ministers from the health and agriculture sectors stood side-by-side, delivering dangerously conflicting messages.
“One of them was saying that the animals are dangerous and the meat and the milk should not be eaten, while the other saying exactly the opposite,” Stephane recounted. “So at the end, it creates a lot of confusion. This could have been avoided if better coordination had been established beforehand.”
The solution, the NBW, acts as a bridge between two critical global frameworks: the International Health Regulations (IHR) for human health and the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) pathway for animal health. These systems existed in parallel for years, which caused gaps and inefficiencies. The NBW gathers officials from all relevant sectors for a structured, three-day workshop where they use a card-based exercise to visually map their coordination strengths and weaknesses across various diseases and functions like surveillance, risk assessment, and laboratory capacity.
“It's interesting because we start to see that it's not only a problem of one disease, it's a problem that is more generic,” Stephane explained, pointing to a matrix of red and yellow cards that reveal systemic collaboration gaps.
From this diagnostic, countries develop a joint, actionable “roadmap” - a prioritized plan with concrete activities to improve multi-sectoral collaboration. This roadmap is then integrated into the country’s National Action Plan for Health Security, ensuring it is aligned with global obligations and funding opportunities.
The statistics behind the achievement: A tailored, country-led approach
The size of NBW’s influence is immense. As of October 2025, 66 countries had conducted workshops. Carmen Alfonso, an NBW Consultant, presented a landmark analysis of 51 of the resultant roadmaps, the first systematic overview of what countries themselves identify as their top One Health priorities.
The top three activities most frequently included in national roadmaps were:
- Conducting simulation exercises to test joint response.
- Developing electronic data and information sharing platforms between sectors.
- Creating guidelines for joint outbreak investigation and response.
Perhaps the most striking finding from Alfonso’s analysis was the absence of a one-size-fits-all model. Statistical analyses, including hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis, revealed no clear regional patterns.
“The roadmaps are tailored to each national context, with countries developing a unique set of activities to meet their One Health needs,” Alfonso stated. “Geographic proximity does not seem to influence the types of activities that countries want to implement.”
This tailored approach is a core strength of the program. Despite the diversity, the analysis found that a third of roadmap activities are shared between countries, creating fertile ground for cross-border learning and collaboration - a function actively supported by the program’s network of NBW “catalysts.”
From blueprint to battlefield: Country catalysts in action
The webinar truly came to life as catalysts from Ukraine, Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tunisia shared their stories. They weren't just talking about policies and roadmaps; they were sharing real-life tales of how building bridges between ministries is making their countries safer. Here's their on-the-ground testimonials of the NBW’s impact.
Ukraine: Finding strength in a network during crisis
For Olena Kuriata, a One Heath Officer at WHO Ukraine, the NBW was a lifeline. Conducted despite the dual challenges of a pandemic and a war, the workshop gave her team a clear-eyed view of their weaknesses and a practical plan to address them.
"We didn't just identify gaps, we used the roadmap to act," she shared.
This wasn't just paperwork. The plan led to a united front against rabies, with human and animal health experts jointly creating public awareness posters and videos. When the threat of bird flu loomed, they used their NBW lessons to run a cross-government simulation, practicing their response before a potential crisis hit. Perhaps most importantly, the NBW connected them to a global "catalyst family"- a support network of experts she now leans on for advice and solidarity.
Cambodia: Weaving One Health into the fabric of government
In Cambodia, the NBW helped strengthen the country's existing One Health structure. It was like providing a detailed blueprint for a house that was already being built. According to Nov Vandarith, a NBW Catalyst at WHO Cambodia, the workshop pinpointed 38 specific activities to improve collaboration.
The result? A wave of new, coordinated national plans for everything from health security to flu response. The person leading this charge, a dedicated "NBW catalyst," described their role as incredibly varied - one day they might be developing guidance documents, and the next, they could be supporting field teams during an outbreak, ensuring everyone is speaking the same language, both literally and figuratively.
Uganda: A joint mission to stop an anthrax outbreak
Alice Namatovu, an NBW Catalyst from the Foad and Agriculture Organization in Uganda brought the impact of the NBW to life with a story from the field. When anthrax surfaced in a rural community, the old way of working might have seen slow, separate responses from health and veterinary teams.
But things were different this time. "With the National Bridging Workshop, that promoted collaboration," Alice explained.
A single, joint team was dispatched immediately. They met with local leaders, visited farms together, and advised on the safe burial of dead animals. Crucially, they didn’t just investigate - they arrived with vaccines and were able to protect the surrounding livestock. Such seamless cooperation, from investigation to vaccination, showed how this spirit of teamwork within the NBW will very directly save livelihoods and lives.
Ethiopia: Rebooting a stagnated program and mobilizing the masses
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans gather dust. In Ethiopia, Mohamed Ibrahim Abdikadir, an NBW Catalyst, found that most of the activities that were developed for their NBW in 2018 had stalled due to budget and technical limitations. He stepped in as a catalyst to help breathe life into the roadmap.
His efforts paid off dramatically. The country developed a new, all-inclusive One Health strategy and, in a major win, secured over $60 million from the World Bank's Pandemic Fund to put it into action. The collaboration didn't stop at the border - Ethiopia now leads high-level talks with Kenya and Somalia, proving that health security is a team sport that extends beyond any single country.
Tunisia: From national plan to regional leader
Tunisia's case demonstrates how a national process can catalyze regional change. Following their NBW, there was increased political will at country level. The Minister of Health took the lead, and Tunisia securely hosted a large regional One Health conference, and from this an informal high-level regional agreement, the "Carthage Agreement," was established, a high-level regional commitment to the strategy. This leadership was put to the test during a severe outbreak of Rift Valley Fever. "The National One Health Network was rapidly mobilized," shared Kaouther Oukaili, the NBW catalyst. By training health workers, launching public campaigns, and coordinating human and animal vaccination, they reduced the number of human deaths from 10 in a year to just two the following year. In fitting recognition of this progress, Tunisia’s Minister of Health was recently awarded a One Health award - the culmination of a nation that stopped talking about collaboration and began to live it.
The road ahead: Expanding the tent
Towards the end of the meeting, the conversation turned to the future, specifically on integrating other One Health aspects like antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate change more fully into the NBW methodology.
Stephane acknowledged the challenge and the opportunity. “The idea was to help the different parties to discuss together around a common topic… We are not talking about developing a global plan for One Health,” he clarified, emphasizing the NBW’s focused purpose on fostering collaboration around existing legal frameworks like the IHR and PVS.
He noted that including the environmental sector, now formally represented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in the Quadripartite alliance, has been a historical challenge but is improving. Alfonso confirmed this, stating, “When the UNEP team is actively involved… we can see that the roadmap reflects more activities that address the upstream prevention of zoonotic disease.”
At the end of the meeting, one thing became clear: the path to pandemic prevention is not a secret. It is paved with cooperation, self-assurance, and concrete, country-led plans. The National Bridging Workshop, facilitated by its global network of passionate catalysts, is providing the tools and the blueprints to build that path, one country, one outbreak, and one shared success at a time. In a world of evolving health threats, this systematic bridging of sectors may be one of the most effective defenses humanity has yet built.
