| A study jointly carried out by the Infectious Hazard Management (IHM) Unit at WHO SEARO and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, introduces a practical framework and reflection tool to help national programme managers operationalize multisector partnerships (MSPs) for zoonotic influenza preparedness and response. Published in Health Policy and Planning, the study responds to long-standing challenges in implementing effective One Health strategies at national and subnational levels. |  |
While the One Health approach, emphasizing collaboration across animal, human, and environmental health sectors, has gained global traction, its uptake in real-world programmes remains limited. This is especially critical in Southeast Asia, where zoonotic influenzas such as H5N1 continue to circulate among poultry and livestock, posing significant pandemic potential.
Drawing on academic reviews and field experience, the authors propose a Theory of Action (ToA) for One Health MSPs, nested within the existing One Health Theory of Change developed by the global quadripartite (FAO, WHO, WOAH, UNEP).
The framework highlights five building blocks:
- Starting conditions-the reasons why sectors come together, often in response to emergencies.
- Partnership characteristics-the type and structure of the collaboration.
- Collaborative processes-how members work together through trust and shared leadership.
- Outputs-the results they achieve—whether for health, agriculture, or environment.
- Responsiveness -how flexible and sustainable the partnership is over time.
The study goes a step further by introducing a Reflection Tool—a hands-on guide for programme managers to assess the nature, strengths, and weaknesses of their country’s MSPs. The tool supports locally relevant design and periodic review of intersectoral collaboration, avoiding generic or externally imposed templates.
This approach helps open up the ‘black box’ of multisector collaboration by providing a clear way to examine how partnerships actually work, what is helping them succeed, and what might be getting in the way—so that countries can improve the way sectors work together to prevent disease threats.
By shifting the focus from abstract One Health ideals to practical implementation strategies, this approach empowers countries to localize global guidance, identify specific collaboration bottlenecks, and better align stakeholder incentives—key steps toward strengthening pandemic prevention systems.
This work contributes to the IHM Unit’s broader mission by enhancing the region’s ability to detect threats early, coordinate across sectors, and prepare for pandemics. By translating One Health principles into practical, context-sensitive approaches, it enables countries to build strong, sustainable partnerships tailored to their own systems—key for addressing emerging high-threat pathogens.
Reference:
Abbas SS, Kakkar M, Bloom G, Husain L, Shorten T, Wijesinghe PR, Buddha N, Salvador EC. Operationalizing multisector partnerships: a Theory of Action and Reflection tool for zoonotic influenzas. Health Policy Plan. 2025;40(10):1142–1148. doi:10.1093/heapol/czaf064
Full text publication is available at:
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/40/10/1142/8250351