Ethiopia launches the National Action Plan for Health Security and National One Health Five Year Strategic Plan

Ethiopia has taken another major step in protecting the health of people, animals, plants and the environment by launching two landmark documents – the Five-Year National Action Plan for Health Security and the National One Health Strategic Plan.

Supported by the Pandemic Fund, the launch marks a defining moment in Ethiopia’s journey towards strengthening health security and institutionalizing the One Health approach, a global framework recognizing interconnectedness between human, animal, and environmental health.

The launch, held in Addis Ababa, was attended by high-level officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health, UN agencies, and development partners. Also, in attendance were officials from the Environment Protection Authority, Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, and other One Health stakeholders.

Need for collaboration and joint coordination

“No sector can safeguard health alone,” said H.E. Dr Mekdes Daba, Minister of Health adding: “Human, animal, and environmental health are inseparably linked. The One Health approach enables us to prevent risks, detect threats early, and respond in a coordinated way.”

The State Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Dr Efa Muleta emphasized that human, animal, plant, and environmental health must be managed as a one ecosystem underscoring the importance of sectoral collaboration to prevent health risks, detect threats early, and respond in a coordinated way.

Farayi Zimudzi, FAO Representative in Ethiopia highlighted that health security is also an economic and social development issue emphasizing FAO’s key role and commitment in supporting Ethiopia’s health security through the One Health approach.

As a UN agency responsible for promoting sustainable agrifood systems transformation, FAO continues to play a leading role by supporting Ethiopia to:

• Strengthen animal health systems and control zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• Improve disease surveillance, early warning system and laboratory networks
• Promote biosecurity and sustainable farming
• Enhance food safety and quality systems.
  

Pandemic Fund: A catalyst for change

Through the ethio-pandemic preparedness and response (EPPR) project, launched in early 2024, the Pandemic Fund has become a cornerstone in building Ethiopia’s multisectoral collaboration for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

By leveraging national expertise and existing systems, the Fund is helping establish stronger early warning mechanisms, improve laboratory capacity, and build a skilled One Health workforce at national and subnational level ready to act swiftly in the face of future health threats.

One Health: Ethiopia’s shared commitment

Ethiopia has undergone Joint External Evaluations (JEE) in 2016 and 2023, and early in 2025 successfully completed the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) evaluation both of which demonstrated commitment and determination to strengthen the health security system, enhance multisectoral collaboration, and ensure effective preparedness and response to public health threats.

NAPHS is Ethiopia’s strategic response, a five-year roadmap built based on the World health Organization’s four critical pillars namely; prevent, detect, respond and others IHR related hazard, which will help the country achieve its mission and vision.

The country’s growing recognition of the One Health concept reflects its broader vision for resilient, sustainable, and inclusive health systems. The creation of the National One Health Secretariat and the development of the second Five-Year NOHSP signal the country’s commitment to institutionalization of cross-sectoral collaboration.

Together, these initiatives position Ethiopia as a regional leader in pandemic preparedness, ensuring that future outbreaks are met with rapid, coordinated, and effective responses that protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.