The Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism Operational Tool (MCM- OT) is one of the operational tools supported by the Quadripartite to assist relevant authorities at all levels to improve coordination in managing One Health (OH) threats at the human-animal-environment interface. The Quadripartite is made up of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Currently, Nigeria has OH coordination and governance mechanisms detailed at National level, however, gaps exist particularly in technical leadership and coordination. In addition, national OH structures do not extend to State level. The MCM-OT provides guidance and technical support for countries to improve both leadership and technical functions, and strengthen collaboration, communication, and coordination across the sectors to achieve better health outcomes at both National and Subnational levels.
A workshop was organised by WHO Nigeria in collaboration with stakeholders; Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv), the Quadripartite and UKHSA which took place in Abuja from 4-6 April 2023. This workshop aimed to provide a standard approach for Nigeria to strengthen their existing OH mechanism and to support national authorities to improve coordination for managing zoonotic diseases and other threats at the human-animal-environmental interface. The IHR-SP OH team were pleased to help coordinate and facilitate this MCM-OT together with partners from the Quadripartite.
The workshop used a combination of approaches including presentations, group work and plenary discussions to agree the necessary action plans and assign responsibilities and timelines for strengthening the OH coordination mechanism in Nigeria. Participants included technical officers and focal points from the OH line ministries and partner organisations.
The first day of the workshop began with an introduction to OH in Nigeria, provided background on activities to date and a review of the OH frameworks in Nigeria. The Quadripartite provided an update on regional and continental OH activities. In the afternoon there was an introduction to the MCM-OT and participants then worked in groups on the following day (Day 2) to identify nine elements of an effective One Health mechanism which were then prioritised for action. The prioritised elements were:
- leadership and governance
- policies and legal frameworks
- resources and funding
- sub-national structures
- communication
- monitoring and evaluation
- coordinating surveillance
- risk communication
- workforce development
Groups shared their reflections in plenary sessions which was a critical process as the participants were reflecting on the current status of the OH platform in Nigeria, how it has been used in the past to address zoonotic diseases and identifying the top challenges and opportunities.
Day 3 involved compiling all the thinking from the previous days into a finalised action plan covering all nine identified prioritised elements that could be taken forward to improve multistakeholder coordination.
The action plans that were produced during the workshop have been circulated to all stakeholders and an implementation plan for activities is being produced. As a direct result of this MCM, work is ongoing to organise a subnational MCM in order to strengthen subnational OH structures.
During the planning and implementation of the MCM workshop, essential decisions made for the future national OH agenda included several identified needs:
- subnational cascade of the OH mechanism
- full integration of AMR into the existing OH mechanism in Nigeria
- alignment of the MCM action plan with existing national and institutional policies and frameworks
- evaluation of effectiveness of OH governance structures at national and subnational levels
Key next steps include presenting the action plan to the National One health Technical and Steering Committees for validation and implementation and conducting an impact evaluation one year after the workshop The IHR-SP OH team will continue to support Nigeria through the Nigeria in-country team lead with the development of their OH approach.
