Harare, Zimbabwe has officially launched its National One Health Strategic Plan 2026–2030, a landmark framework designed to strengthen national health security by integrating human, animal, plant and environmental health systems. The plan was launched in Harare by the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Hon. Kembo Mohadi, on behalf of His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The strategy was developed with strong technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and aligns Zimbabwe with global and regional One Health commitments, including the UN Quadripartite Joint Plan of Action on One Health, the Africa Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals, and Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 under National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).

A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Dr Douglas Mombeshora, emphasized that Zimbabwe is responding to increasingly complex health threats.

“Globally, the occurrence of outbreaks and pandemics has become common due to climate change and increased land use as a result of the expansion of the human population, increased human contact with animals and the globalization of trade,” he said, noting that the interaction of humans, animals and the environment is at the centre of many emerging health threats.

He underscored the critical role of animal and plant health within the One Health approach, stating that animal health safeguards public health and food security, while healthy plants underpin nutrition, ecosystems and livelihoods. “Recognizing the inextricable link between human, animal, and plant health and the environment is therefore essential,” he said, adding that environmental and plant health have historically been overlooked in One Health implementation.

Dr Mombeshora highlighted findings from a 2024 University of Zimbabwe One Health national assessment, which showed that while progress has been made, broader integration across sectors remains limited. “Strengthening a whole of government and society approach, aligning policies and fostering collaboration among key One Health Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other stakeholders is therefore essential,” he said.

He added that the new strategy provides a comprehensive governance and implementation framework that will guide Zimbabwe’s journey towards an upper middle-income society. “The three One Health Ministries, have therefore committed to implementing this national One Health strategic plan in a collaborative way working with all other government MDAs and stakeholders whose responsibilities intersect across One Health,” he said.

Government commitment at the highest level

Officially launching the plan, Vice President Kembo Mohadi described the strategy as a transformative national innovation that places health at the centre of sustainable development.

“A healthy Zimbabwe is a must for the attainment of a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society by 2030,” he said, acknowledging challenges ranging from recurrent disease outbreaks to limited financing for timely response. He referenced national self-assessments and a WHO-led Joint External Evaluation of Zimbabwe’s International Health Regulations core capacities, which confirmed the need for more integrated and innovative approaches.

“The Zimbabwe National One-Health Strategic Plan 2026–2030 is an innovative and transformative framework that establishes a well-coordinated multi-sectoral approach to tackling health threats at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health,” the Vice President said. He stressed that the plan is science-driven and informed by lessons from Zimbabwe’s whole-of-government COVID-19 response.

He further noted that the strategy provides a clear governance framework to ensure efficient use of resources through collaboration. “The nation’s journey to a prosperous and upper middle-income society is only possible when the country embraces collaborative strategies and approaches that ensure that available resources are used efficiently for a healthy nation,” he said.

Urging action, the Vice President directed all government institutions and partners to move beyond traditional silos. “I direct and urge Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and all other stakeholders … to respond to public health challenges through strengthened multi-sectoral collaboration and unified policy action at all levels,” he said, before officially launching the strategy and its implementation plan.

FAO and WHO support for One Health in Zimbabwe

FAO was represented at the launch by Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and FAO Representative to Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini, who delivered solidarity remarks on behalf of FAO and the UN One Health Quadripartite, FAO, WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

“Today, Zimbabwe affirmed its commitment to protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment through integrated action,” Talla said. He commended the leadership of the Office of the President and Cabinet for guiding the process to Cabinet approval and national adoption.

He described the plan as a timely instrument for strengthening preparedness and response to zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety risks and climate-related health threats, while keeping Zimbabwe aligned with international best practice.

FAO’s support builds on regional and national One Health initiatives, including the Southern Africa Programme on One Health (SAPOH), and is anchored in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031 and the “Four Betters”: Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life.

Working with national authorities and being part of the UN Quadripartite partners, FAO has been supporting Zimbabwe to strengthen surveillance and laboratory systems for animal health and food safety, improve biosafety and biosecurity practices, build a skilled One Health workforce, and enhance data systems and risk communication for evidence-based decision-making.

Patrice Talla highlighted FAO tools that support countries in operationalizing One Health, including the One Health Legislative Assessment Tool (OHLAT) and the Assessment Tool for Laboratories and AMR Surveillance Systems (ATLASS), noting that these efforts align closely with the strategy’s emphasis on integrated surveillance, coordination and sustained capacity building.

From strategy to action

The National One Health Strategic Plan 2026–2030 focuses on priority areas including zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance and the health impacts of climate change. Its strategic pillars cover coordination and governance, prevention and control, financing, research and development, and advocacy, communication and capacity building.

The plan aims to bring government, academia, the private sector, civil society and development partners under a unified national framework to prevent, detect and respond to health threats more effectively.

“One Health succeeds when domestic ownership and financing are sustained,” Patrice Talla said, reaffirming FAO’s commitment to accompany Zimbabwe throughout implementation so that communities see tangible benefits, from safer food and resilient livelihoods to healthier ecosystems.

With the launch of the strategy, Zimbabwe positions itself to strengthen national and regional health security by breaking down sectoral silos and addressing interconnected health risks through coordinated, evidence-based action.