Lesotho has taken a significant step toward strengthening collaboration between its human, animal, and environmental health sectors through a three-day National Bridging Workshop held in Maseru District.
The workshop, organized by the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Food Security, and Environment, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), aimed to enhance the country’s One Health approach—a framework that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental well-being.
In her opening remarks, the Deputy Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, Ms. Matsoanelo Monyobi, stressed the importance of dismantling institutional silos to build a more resilient health system.
“Capacity must be comprehensive. If we want to build, we must first break down the silos that keep systems fragmented,” she said, emphasizing a unified approach to public health, animal health, and environmental management.
Representing WHO, Dr. Sirak Hailu, Public Health Officer, underscored the urgency of adopting integrated health strategies to confront rising zoonotic threats.
“A majority of emerging, re-emerging, and endemic human diseases originate from animals,” he noted, citing outbreaks of Ebola, novel coronaviruses, and pandemic influenza as reminders of the interconnected nature of global health.
Speaking on behalf of the FAO, Mohlophehi Maope described the One Health approach as “no longer a choice, but a necessity,” commending the workshop for achieving consensus on a joint roadmap to strengthen cross-sector collaboration.
Dr. Mookho Ntiea, Director of Veterinary Field Operations, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, highlighted the initiative’s potential to build stronger systems and partnerships for community well-being, while Sello Mabatla, District Environment Officer, praised the workshop for promoting coordination among key ministries to develop an actionable joint health plan.
The workshop concluded with participants adopting a consensus-driven roadmap to enhance cooperation across human, animal, and environmental health sectors for improved prevention, detection, and response to health threats.
By aligning the WHO’s International Health Regulations Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (IHR MEF) with the WOAH’s Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Pathway, Lesotho aims to strengthen national health systems and foster an integrated, proactive approach to health security.
The initiative was supported by funding from the Pandemic Fund, reaffirming Lesotho’s commitment to advancing multisectoral collaboration under the One Health Strategy.
