Building a functional national One Health platform: the case of Tanzania

Abstract

Background: The USAID Preparedness and Response (P&R) project's publication on Multisectoral Coordination that Works identified five dimensions most critical to creating effective and sustainable One Health platforms: political commitment, institutional structure, management and coordination capacity, technical and financial resources, and joint planning and implementation. This case study describes Tanzania experience in using these dimensions to establish a functional One Health platform. The main objective of this case study was to document the process of institutionalizing the One Health approach in Tanzania. Methods: An analysis of the process used to establish and institutionalize the MCM in Tanzania through addressing the five dimensions mentioned above was conducted between August 2018 and January 2019. Progress activity reports, annual reports and minutes of meetings and consultations regarding the establishment of the Tanzania national One Health platform were examined. Relevant One Health publications were studied as reference material. Results: This case study illustrates the time and level of effort required of multiple partners to build a functional multi-sectoral coordinating mechanism (MCM). Key facilitating factors were identified and the importance of involving policy and decision makers at all stages of the process to facilitate policy decisions and the institutionalization process was underscored. The need for molding the implementation process using lessons learnt along the way-"sailing the ship as it was being built"-is demonstrated. Conclusions: Tanzania now has a functioning and institutionalized MCM with a sound institutional structure and capacity to prevent, detect early and respond to health events. The path to its establishment required the patient commitment of a core group of One Health champions and stakeholders along the way to examine carefully and iteratively how best to structure productive multisectoral coordination in the country. The five dimensions identified by the Preparedness and Response project may provide useful guidance to other countries working to establish functional MCM.

Leadership and Self‐Help Initiatives: The Case of Water Supply Services in Morogoro, Tanzania

“…Water committee performance failures including improper fund management can also indicate shortfalls in supervisory roles of community leadership, whose leadership obligations include ensuring good performance on the part of various community units. Kitua et al (2019) underlined that in Tanzania commitment is required in order to ensure that multiple partners build a functional coordination mechanism. There is a need for strengthening management abilities of community leadership for a better development outcome, especially as lack of coordination and lack of awareness of roles and responsibilities have been some of the major challenges facing community leadership in Tanzania (Kilewo & Frumence, 2015; Nwokorie, 2018).…”

Experience in fostering regional collaboration and Coordination to use data for battling infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa

“…Among the achievements of the P&R project was the establishment of functional Multi-Sectoral Coordination (MCM) Mechanisms in Africa. 15 , 16 …”

“…It also fast tracked the development, testing and deployment of an effective vaccine. 16 , 17 Currently, effective global collaboration and coordination produced a vaccine for COVID-19 in a shorter than expected period, thus emphasising the power of collaboration and joint coordinated actions. 2 , 3…”

“…Among the achievements of the P&R project was the establishment of functional Multi-Sectoral Coordination (MCM) Mechanisms in Africa. 15,16 As a result, when the next Ebola outbreak happened in 2018, improved regional and global collaboration, coordination, resource mobilisation and understanding of community perceptions and needs favoured its containment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It also fast tracked the development, testing and deployment of an effective vaccine.…”

“…It also fast tracked the development, testing and deployment of an effective vaccine. 16,17 Currently, effective global collaboration and coordination produced a vaccine for COVID-19 in a shorter than expected period, thus emphasising the power of collaboration and joint coordinated actions. 2,3 In this study, we report the experience and achievements of efforts to foster regional cooperation and collaboration for battling infectious diseases.…”