Africa bears a heavy burden of emerging, re-emerging and endemic diseases that impacts on Public Health, animal resources, livelihoods, food and nutrition security and economic growth. Available evidence indicates that most of the emerging diseases have an animal origin with 75% of them classified as zoonosis. A 63% jump in diseases spread from animals to people in Africa has been seen in last decade1. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and food safety are other important concerns for the continent. A comprehensive multidisciplinary approach referred as One Health (OH) offers an opportunity to optimize the health of animals, humans and the environment. The OH approach is contingent on a strong unified drive towards sharing information, Knowledge and experiences on all the three One Health domains (Animal Health, Human Health and Environmental health) in close collaboration with the community.

Presently One Health data has largely remained underutilized, under-analysed and under disseminated in respective sector silos and has slowed pace in creating information and digital intelligence through data science-based algorithms or machine learning thereby affecting evidence-based decision making.  Moreover, lack of utilization of whole-community approach in the management of zoonoses and   the lack of harmonization and integration of data platforms  in the one health sphere has resulted to loss of information, lack of information and ultimately to poor detection, identification of drivers and risks, socio-economic and gender impacts, determination of trends and inability to make  predictions  leading to poor  prevention, prepared and response to zonooses  i.e Poor One Health governance and management.