WHO and FAO launch One Health Capacity-Building Programme to strengthen preparedness for future health threats

22 July 2026, Aden, Yemen 

The World Health Organization (WHO), with support from the Pandemic Fund, is partnering with Global Health Development | Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (GHD|EMPHNET) to build national capacity for the One Health workforce. WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and GHD|EMPHNET officially launched the One Health Capacity-Building Programme during an inception workshop held in Aden. The project aims to strengthen Yemen's capacity to prevent, detect and respond to One Health threats that emerge at the interface between humans, animals and the environment through a coordinated One Health approach. It brings together the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP), the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries (MoAIF), and the Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE), along with the Pandemic Fund project's implementing partners, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Global Health Development | Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (GHD|EMPHNET), as well as other relevant stakeholders.

The workshop brought together ministers, senior government officials, technical experts, academia, development partners and representatives from national and international organizations to align Programme objectives, the implementation approach, coordination mechanisms and next steps.

Building on existing One Health coordination mechanisms and investments in preparedness, the Programme will strengthen Yemen's multidisciplinary workforce through 3 key components: the One Health Leadership and Management Programme, the One Health Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) and One Health rapid response teams (RRTs). The initiative will enhance integrated surveillance, laboratory capacity, joint outbreak investigation, emergency preparedness and coordinated response across sectors.

Through the Pandemic Fund support, an agreement was reached among the three sectors (human, animal and environment) on eight national priority zoonotic diseases for multisectoral collaboration and a joint One Health Action Plan for 2026–2028 was developed. This project will therefore augment the national capacity by preparing a trained workforce from the three sectors to lead joint risk assessment, investigation and response to the priority zoonotic diseases and other One Health threats of greatest concern for Yemen.

"Health threats do not respect the boundaries between people, animals or the environment. Strengthening collaboration across these sectors is essential to better protect communities and build resilient systems capable of preventing and responding to future emergencies," said WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Yemen Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain. "Through this partnership, WHO remains committed to supporting the Government of Yemen in building a skilled multidisciplinary workforce that can translate the One Health approach into effective action across the country targeting prioritized zoonotic diseases of greatest concern for Yemen."

The inception workshop introduced the Programme's implementation framework, outlined the expected outputs and implementation timeline and provided a platform for stakeholders to agree on coordination arrangements, participant nomination processes and immediate next steps.

Participants discussed how stronger collaboration between ministries, UN agencies, academia and development partners can accelerate the implementation of One Health priorities and reinforce national preparedness for future health emergencies.

Ministry representatives reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening multisectoral collaboration and advancing a coordinated national One Health agenda that protects public health, animal health, livelihoods and the environment.

The programme will build national capacities through joint learning and practical training, enabling professionals from different sectors to work together more effectively in detecting, preventing and responding to emerging health threats.

Dr Adam Yao, FAO Representative a.i. in Yemen, noted that the Yemen Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project's contribution to building the nation's institutional capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats through a comprehensive One Health framework is remarkable. "Healthy animals, healthy people, and healthy ecosystems are inextricably linked. In the animal health sector, support for strengthening disease surveillance, laboratories, quarantine, and border inspection systems is key to reducing risks of zoonotic disease and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), ensuring biosecurity for Yemeni people and neighboring countries," Dr Yao affirmed.

The workshop concluded with agreement on implementation priorities, coordination mechanisms, designated focal points and a roadmap for rolling out Programme activities in the coming months.

WHO, FAO, GHD|EMPHNET and national partners will continue to work closely with the Government of Yemen to strengthen One Health capacities and reinforce the country's preparedness and resilience against future health emergencies.

The One Health Capacity-Building Programme is being implemented as part of broader efforts to strengthen Yemen's pandemic preparedness and response capacities through a multisectoral One Health approach.

For media inquiries, please contact:

• WHO Yemen Communications Team – mediayemen@who.int
• FAO Yemen Communications Team – evani.debone@fao.org