An operational One Health framework for enhanced multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration in Tanzania

المؤلفون

  • Valentina Sanga المؤلف
  • Abubakar Hoza مترجم
  • Esron Karimuribo مترجم

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66585/ohmi.2026.2.0022

الكلمات المفتاحية:

One Health، Multisectoral coordination، Collaboration، Communication، Operational framework، Tanzania

الملخص

The One Health (OH) approach promotes integrated, multi-sectoral collaboration to address complex health threats at the human-animal-environment interface. This study examined operational gaps and opportunities to strengthen multi-sectoral OH coordination in Tanzania, drawing on empirical data and lessons from recent Marburg virus disease outbreaks. Given the growing number of emerging and re-emerging threats, the research aimed to develop a context-specific framework to enhance OH governance, communication, collaboration, and capacity building. A descriptive cross-sectional design included 101 participants from the health, livestock, agriculture, environment, and wildlife sectors across three regions (Arusha, Iringa, and Dodoma). Data were collected via semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods to assess knowledge, awareness, communication, and institutional structures. General findings revealed weak inter-sectoral coordination, limited awareness of OH guidelines, siloed operations, ad hoc communication, inadequate training, and insufficient financial resources, particularly at the subnational level. At the subnational level, only 33.7% (n=34) reported awareness of OH, and 27.7% (n=28) could identify core elements of OH. Coordination was largely reactive: 76.2% (n=77) were engaged only during crises, while routine operations remained fragmented. Communication was similarly ad hoc: 58.4% (n=59) reported it, and only 28.7% (n=29) reported regular interaction during outbreaks. Resource mobilization was donor-dependent and unpredictable, constraining preparedness and response. A striking 78.2% (n=79) of subnational participants reported a lack of policy integration and limited awareness of OH guidelines, while 56.4% (n=57) indicated unclear roles and responsibilities. The proposed framework offers a practical roadmap for institutionalizing OH in Tanzania. Its implementation is expected to enhance preparedness, early detection, and response to health threats, while fostering resilience and whole of government collaboration. It provides a scalable model for strengthening health security and operationalizing OH in similar contexts. Therefore, it is recommended that the proposed operational framework be tested and its performance systematically evaluated during future outbreak responses in Tanzania and extended to broader contexts beyond.

السير الشخصية للمؤلفين

  • Valentina Sanga

    Valentina Thobias Sanga is a seasoned public health professional and epidemiologist with over two decades of experience in nursing, health systems coordination, and outbreak preparedness. She currently serves as the One Health Coordinator and Public Health Focal Person at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dodoma, Tanzania, where she leads multisectoral collaboration to strengthen national health security. 

    She holds an MSc in Epidemiology from Sokoine University of Agriculture, a BSc in Nursing from St. John’s University of Tanzania, Diploma and Certificate qualifications in nursing and midwifery. Her career spans progressive roles from nursing midwife administrator to regional Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) coordinator at Songwe Region, culminating in her current leadership position.  Driven by a commitment to bridging human, animal, and environmental health, Valentina continues to play a pivotal role in advancing One Health approaches and strengthening Tanzania’s public health systems.  

    Valentina has completed specialized training in International Health Regulations, biosafety and biosecurity, disaster risk reduction, leadership and governance, and emergency preparedness and response for natural, accidental, and deliberate CBRN events. She has contributed to national and regional initiatives on One Health, COVID‑19 response, and antimicrobial resistance.  She is an active member of the Biosafety and Biosecurity TWG and coordinates the National Multisectoral Laboratory networking. Valentina is a member of professional associations, including the Tanzania Nurses Association (TANA), Tanzania Public Health Association (TPHA), and Tanzania Biosafety and Biosecurity Association (TABSA). Her technical skills include proficiency in Microsoft Office, Outlook, EPI INFO, and SPSS, supporting evidence‑based decision making and policy development. 

    She has worked with FAO Tanzania to train Regional and District-level Rapid Response Teams in Tanzania. She was a coordinator of a National technical expert group for review of the National One Health Strategic Plan 2022-2027, and a member of the team to review the National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance NAP-AMR 2023-2028 with other guidelines for prioritized Zoonotic diseases. Her research work is in the field of Public Health, particularly One Health multisectoral coordination, published in international journals.

    Valentina Thobias Sanga is a seasoned public health professional and epidemiologist with over two decades of experience in nursing, health systems coordination, and outbreak preparedness. She currently serves as the One Health Coordinator and Public Health Focal Person at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dodoma, Tanzania, where she leads multisectoral collaboration to strengthen national health security. 

    She holds an MSc in Epidemiology from Sokoine University of Agriculture, a BSc in Nursing from St. John’s University of Tanzania, Diploma and Certificate qualifications in nursing and midwifery. Her career spans progressive roles from nursing midwife administrator to regional Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) coordinator at Songwe Region, culminating in her current leadership position.  Driven by a commitment to bridging human, animal, and environmental health, Valentina continues to play a pivotal role in advancing One Health approaches and strengthening Tanzania’s public health systems.  

    Valentina has completed specialized training in International Health Regulations, biosafety and biosecurity, disaster risk reduction, leadership and governance, and emergency preparedness and response for natural, accidental, and deliberate CBRN events. She has contributed to national and regional initiatives on One Health, COVID‑19 response, and antimicrobial resistance.  She is an active member of the Biosafety and Biosecurity TWG and coordinates the National Multisectoral Laboratory networking. Valentina is a member of professional associations, including the Tanzania Nurses Association (TANA), Tanzania Public Health Association (TPHA), and Tanzania Biosafety and Biosecurity Association (TABSA). Her technical skills include proficiency in Microsoft Office, Outlook, EPI INFO, and SPSS, supporting evidence‑based decision making and policy development. 

    She has worked with FAO Tanzania to train Regional and District-level Rapid Response Teams in Tanzania. She was a coordinator of a National technical expert group for review of the National One Health Strategic Plan 2022-2027, and a member of the team to review the National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance NAP-AMR 2023-2028, with other guidelines for prioritized Zoonotic diseases. Her research work is in the field of Public Health, particularly One Health multisectoral coordination, published in international journals.

  • Abubakar Hoza

    Dr. Abubakar Shaaban Hoza holds a PhD in Medical Microbiology, MSc. Molecular Biology, a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Medicine, and a Diploma in Global Health. He is a Senior Lecturer at Sokoine University of Agriculture with over 20 years of experience in veterinary microbiology and One Health capacity building. He serves on Tanzania’s National Multi-Sectoral Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee, contributing to risk management of hazardous agents. He was part of the National Expert Group that developed the 2022 Laboratory Biosafety & Biosecurity Guidelines and led the creation of the National Biosafety and Biosecurity Assessment Checklist, supporting assessments of 57 laboratories across 10 regions. Since 2021, he has been a Ministry of Health assessor and currently sits on the National BSBS Task Force reviewing policies and regulations to inform a national legal framework. 

    Dr. Hoza helped design biosafety and biosecurity curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate programs at SUA and has been teaching them since 2019. He contributes to the Global Laboratory Leadership Program and serves on its national secretariat. He played a role in designating the NPHL as a Regional Centre of Excellence in 2022. His expertise extends to antimicrobial stewardship, One Health strategic planning, AMR surveillance frameworks, and veterinary treatment guidelines. Regionally, he has worked with WHO/AFRO, FAO, and IUCEA on emergency preparedness, rapid response training, and One Health education benchmarks.  Currently, AFROHUN Tanzania CPD Activity Lead, Dr. Hoza, continues to advance biosafety, biosecurity, and One Health implementation. His research focuses on mycobacteriology and antimicrobial resistance, with numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. 

  • Esron Karimuribo

    Esron Karimuribo is a One Health Epidemiology Professor and Principal of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) at the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), based in Morogoro, Tanzania, since 2023. Before this appointment, he served as the Director of Research and Postgraduate Studies at SUA from 2017 to 2023. He is an academic member of staff in the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health at CVMBS. He also works with the Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS), One Health Foundation, a regional disease surveillance network which is headquartered at SUA. Esron holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) from SUA in Tanzania (1995), a Master of Veterinary Medicine (MVM) from SUA in Tanzania (1998), and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Reading in the UK (2002). 

    He is a member of various national and international technical groups focused on enhancing early detection, identification, and monitoring of infectious diseases in animals and humans. He has published more than 140 articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals (Citations-5,326; h-index-42; i10-index-103 based on Google Scholar statistics as at 3rd January, 2026). Esron served as the Chief Editor of the Tanzania Veterinary Journal (TVJ) for three years (2014-2016) as well as the Senior Editor of the CABI One Health Journal from 2022 to date. Since March 2024, he has been appointed and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the East African Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation (EAJSTI) for a period of five years.

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منشور

2026-07-27

إصدار

مجلد 2 عدد 1 (2026): Volume 2, No.1

القسم

Original Article

الرخصة

الحقوق الفكرية (c) 2026 Valentina T. Sanga, ORCID IDs: 0009-0003-3813-5568 (Author); Abubakar S. Hoza, ORCID 0000-0003-0387-9164, Esron D. Karimuribo, ORCID 0009-0008-4085-1076 (Translator)

Creative Commons License

هذا العمل مرخص بموجب Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

كيفية الاقتباس

Sanga, V. (2026). An operational One Health framework for enhanced multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration in Tanzania. One Health Microbiology & Infection, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.66585/ohmi.2026.2.0022

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