Strengths and challenges of the One Health approach in the response to zoonotic epidemics in CAR

Each year, the WHO African Region experiences over 100 health emergencies, representing approximately 70% of the global total. Notably, more than 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans are of zoonotic origin, underscoring the critical need for integrated approaches to disease prevention and control. The "One Health" approach—recognized as a cornerstone of global health security—seeks to enhance the world's capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats by fostering collaboration across human, animal, and environmental health sectors. In the Central African Republic (CAR), incremental progress has been made in operationalizing the One Health framework. Key advancements include: Capacity-building initiatives aimed at improving understanding and operational uptake of the One Health concept across relevant sectors; Multisectoral and multidisciplinary coordination mechanisms for the surveillance of epidemic-prone diseases and public health emergency response, led respectively by the Directorate of Epidemiological Surveillance and the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COUSP); Risk communication and information-sharing, notably through the publication of a monthly One Health bulletin that reports on surveillance, preparedness, and response activities related to public health emergencies. This bulletin is disseminated via multisectoral digital platforms such as WhatsApp groups. Despite these achievements, critical gaps remain in areas such as sustainable capacity building, institutional governance, and strategic planning. Strengthening these components is essential to fully operationalize the One Health approach and enhance national health security in the Central African Republic (CAR).