Building a resilient future: Strengthening pandemic prevention preparedness and response through the One Health approach in South Africa

South Africa's strategic position in the global health ecosystem necessitates a robust approach to pandemic prevention and response. This initiative aims to enhance the country's capacity to manage public health threats by fortifying surveillance, laboratory systems, and workforce skills. Implemented across all nine provinces, the project aligns with South Africa's commitment to the One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health systems for comprehensive pandemic preparedness.

Implementation and key components

Led by WHO, UNICEF, and FAO, the project will work closely with the National Department of Health and key partners such as the Agricultural Research Council and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). The initiative focuses on the following areas:

Establishing an integrated surveillance system

The project will enhance surveillance by adopting the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework tailored to South Africa's unique epidemiological landscape. An upgraded national electronic reporting system will unify data streams from human, animal, and environmental health, improving early detection and response to outbreaks. Efforts will extend to bolstering community-based and sentinel surveillance, with targeted training programs for public health workers to improve disease monitoring in rural and urban areas.

Enhancing laboratory capabilities

To address diagnostic gaps, the project will modernize laboratory infrastructure by supporting genomic sequencing, biosafety upgrades, and advanced diagnostic capacities. A focus on zoonotic diseases will be achieved by equipping veterinary and environmental labs with state-of-the-art technologies. Partnerships with NICD and other institutions will strengthen bioinformatics and genomic surveillance, ensuring timely detection of novel pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Building a resilient health workforce

Recognizing the importance of skilled professionals, the project will implement training initiatives to upskill healthcare, veterinary, and environmental health workers. Programs will emphasize pandemic response readiness, genomic research techniques, and risk communication strategies. A rapid deployment framework for health personnel during emergencies will be established to ensure a swift response to emerging threats.

Expected outcomes