Countries: Tonga, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia Source: World Health Organization Experts in human health, animal health, food systems and ecology have long worked in silos. But the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside outbreaks of avian influenza, dengue, leptospirosis, and mpox – to name but a handful of global public health crises – drove home the urgency of collaborating across sectors. We are living in an era of spillover. Roughly 75% of all emerging infectious diseases in humans now originate in animals, causing over 2.7 million deaths each year. In 2025, Pacific island countries and areas reported the highest number of dengue cases in a decade - an increase attributed to climate change and shifting weather patterns in the region. The message is clear: human health is firmly tethered to - and inseparable from - the health of animals, plants and the environment that contains us all. To state the obvious: addressing interrelated challenges requires multisectoral collaboration. One Health is an approach that connects disciplines to harness collective action, build synergies and collaboratively tackle complex health challenges. This convergence is exemplified and implemented by the One Health Quadripartite comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). One region; One Health: priority areas for action The Quadripartite has launched a One Health Joint Plan of Action, whichfocuses on six priority technical areas, also known as “One Health Action Tracks”. These range from strengthening national health systems and preventing zoonotic pandemics to managing food safety and curbing antimicrobial resistance, or AMR. In the WHO Western Pacific Region, countries are advancing these action tracks with support from the Quadripartite partners. From poultry markets in Java to rural rice-wine-making villages in Cambodia, country examples from the Region showcase how the One Health vision is being brought to life. Indonesia | Reducing risks from priority zoonotic disease As a global hotspot for emerging diseases, Indonesia has felt the direct impact of climate-driven disasters and shifting biodiversity. Recognizing the stakes, the world’s largest archipelago has employed the One Health approach to tackle three priority zoonotic diseases: avian influenza, leptospirosis and rabies. · Avian influenza: In traditional poultry markets - identified as critical early-warning sites for zoonotic disease spillovers - WHO-supported surveillance teams were piloted across five priority provinces. The pilot generated early insights that sharpened district preparedness, reinforced multisectoral coordination and enabled targeted risk reduction in high‐exposure markets. · Leptospirosis: When low-lying coastal areas across Indonesia saw a surge in leptospirosis - a climate-sensitive zoonotic disease, WHO supported capacity-building for health-care workers in early detection and prompt treatment, and the establishment of local multisectoral coordination teams to build community awareness. Enhanced community awareness and strengthened health workforce capacities have lowered leptospirosis-related mortality rates across the country. · Rabies: Endemic in 26 of 38 Indonesian provinces, rabies presents a formidable challenge that has required multisectoral action. WHO advanced crucial response actions, including implementing a joint workplan with multiple partners for rabies prevention and control; amplifying risk communication; accelerating animal vaccination; and advancing surveillance and case management for rabid animals. WHO is now working with the Government of Indonesia to draft a regulation that will accelerate cross-sector collaboration to control rabies. Cambodia | Advancing food safety systems through multisectoral actions In Cambodia, methanol poisoning from illicitly produced rice wine has been a recurring tragedy, claiming at least 157 lives since 2014. In 2021, an incident sparked a WHO-led after-action review to identify and address gaps in preparedness and response capacities. To support the urgent surveillance effort in Cambodia, a rapid-test kit was developed by Singapore’s National Centre for Food Science - a WHO collaborating centre for monitoring and assessing the risk of food contamination in the Western Pacific. The Centre also assessed high-risk areas and consulted diverse stakeholders to detect the presence of methanol in illegal alcoholic beverages. WHO ensured that capacity-building efforts included both the national and subnational workforce, particularly members of Cambodia’s multisectoral Foodborne Disease Outbreak Investigation and Response Team (FORT). FORT teams continue to receive WHO-led training on preparedness and response measures for food safety incidents. Furthermore, WHO has trained emergency workforce members from three national hospitals and six provincia
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