Health experts push for integrated health action

Denis Sanari a resident of Kisii County had his cat vacinated aganist rabies during mass vaccination exercise. [Sammy Omingo, Standard] Kenya's veterinary, medical and public health sectors have renewed calls for stronger collaboration to tackle rising threats from zoonotic diseases, food safety gaps, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warning that fragmented systems risk leaving the country exposed to preventable outbreaks. Studies indicate that over 60 per cent of human infectious diseases originate from animals, with nearly 75 per cent of emerging infections classified as zoonotic. Experts say these statistics are more than numbers, they reflect real risks for farmers, communities, and frontline health workers across the country. Kenya Veterinary Association (KVA) chairman Dr Kelvin Osore emphasized these risks during the opening of the national One Health conference. Recalling early experiences in western Kenya, he said livestock abortion storms often coincided with unexplained fevers in humans. "Growing up in a small village in western Kenya, it was far too common to experience unexplainable abortion storms in livestock which ran concurrent to similarly unexplained malaise, fever and other clinical signs which were frequently misdiagnosed for malaria or typhoid fever in human beings," he said. He warned that AMR is compounding the problem. "What starts as an animal disease or a food safety concern quickly becomes a human tragedy, a reminder that in Kenya and Africa at large, the line between animal health, human health, and environmental health is not a boundary, but a bridge," he said. Osore urged deeper collaboration across veterinary, medical, environmental, and policy sectors through the Kenya One Health Collaborate Initiative and new partnerships between KVA and the Kenya Medical Association. "Disease does not respect professional silos or institutional boundaries. Our response must therefore be equally integrated, proactive, and collaborative," he said. His sentiments were echoed by Dr Sabenzia Wekesa of the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), who stressed that Kenya's surveillance systems are only as strong as the cooperation behind them. "These systems are only as strong as the collaboration links we forge within us with our public health and environmental counterparts. We must leverage on the technologies that exist, improve our laboratory surveillance and ensure timely and shared data to prevent the next outbreak from becoming a catastrophe," she said. Dr Wekesa warned that AMR remains a silent but escalating crisis in the country. "We all know that AMR is now being called a silent pandemic, and it threatens to roll back the successes that medical progress has achieved over the centuries," she said. She noted that the DVS is deeply invested in responsible antimicrobial use and stewardship in the animal sector. She urged delegates to advance vigilance in veterinary practice, food safety, and ethical drug use. "The safety of the meat we eat, the milk and the eggs we consume as families in Kenya begins with healthy animals and responsible husbandry," she said. Dr. Wekesa challenged health institutions to avoid working in silos and build a unified national One Health strategy. "We have the expertise in this house, researchers, partners, government representatives and academia, and the collective activities we do will develop a truly integrated national One Health strategy," she said She encouraged experts to forge lasting bonds and produce policy recommendations that are truly transformational. "Let us leave this room with a concrete roadmap for a safer and healthier Kenya," she said. Dr. Stephen Muleshe, the head of Division Health Sector, reiterated the ministry of health's commitment to integrated action, emphasizing that the One Health platform remains central to building a safer, healthier, and more resilient nation. "The government has launched the Public Health Institute which will provide an integrated hub for disease surveillance, laboratory systems and data analytics, "he said. Muleshe confirmed that the Public Health Institute will also address issues dealing with zoonotic and environmental health dimensions.

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