One Health and the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons for the control of epidemics including Tryapanosomiasis

Background: The pandemic has created an opportunity to review the strengths and threats to the One Health (OH) approach which has widely been promoted in several African countries. In this survey, we assessed the relevance of OH with the objective of understanding the underlying drivers to its poor implementation during the pandemic period by using Uganda as a case study. Methods: This was a key informant interview (KII) survey conducted across multiple districts in Uganda. We held in-person, virtual and phone calls with study participants and data was analysed and presented using a SWOT framework. Results: The study involved 12 participants, the majority from the central region, males, and senior officers, from the health and veterinary industries. Almost everyone got OH right by theoretical definition, with disciplinary collaborations being more common than multi-interdisciplinary collaborations. Major threats to OH were associated with working in silos, and the lack of a National One Health Policy thus making it challenging to mobilize national funding and coordination of OH activities in the country. Conflicts due to corruption in administrative offices are major barriers to multidisciplinary collaboration. The pandemic has provided more avenues to foster multi-interdisciplinary collaborations, and opportunities to gain budgetary support from the Ugandan government for OH activities. Conclusion: A lack of data-sharing initiatives among the ministries and limited advocacy for OH activities in rural communities are challenges that need to be addressed in strengthening national systems for future epidemics.