WOAH designates ILRI as the 1st Collaborating Center for One Health

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has officially designated International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) as its first Collaborating Centre for One Health, recognising ILRI as a global leader in addressing critical challenges at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health.

WOAH maintains a network of Collaborating Centres for the purposes of providing scientific expertise and support to the WOAH and its Members, and for promoting international collaboration on animal health and welfare. Collaborating Centres are designated for a specific specialty within a focus area relating to the management of general questions on animal health issues. In its designated specialty, they must provide their expertise internationally

ILRI is a CGIAR center co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia with HQs in Addis Ababa and Nairobi and 14 offices across Asia and Africa ILRI has a long-standing record of using a One Health approach to address challenges at the animal, human, and environmental interfaces in low- and middle-income countries.

A Milestone for Integrated One Health Approach

WOAH Director General Emmanuelle Soubeyran hailed the partnership, noting that ‘ILRI’s interdisciplinary approach aligns with WOAH’s vision for One Health’. Together, we can transform research into actionable policies and provide more evidence for WOAH international standards to safeguard animal health, trade and global food security.

Speaking at WOAH’s 92^nd General Session, ILRI Director General, Appolinaire Djikeng, stated, ‘We are honored by WOAH’s designation of ILRI as a Collaborating Centre for One Health. This recognition reinforces our commitment to leveraging livestock research for healthy people, healthy animals and healthy ecosystems.  Through our networks across Africa and Asia, ILRI will continue to work with partners to provide the One Health solutions that improve animal health management, drive innovations, mitigate emerging global threats and build sustainable resilience in food systems globally. In addition, ILRI seeks to strengthen the evidence base for addressing climate-related health challenges through the application of a One Health approach.

Key Focus Areas

As a WOAH Collaborating Centre for One Health, ILRI will focus on animal health management by advancing research, capacity building and policy engagement across several key areas:

• Disease prevention, including zoonotic and emerging pathogens, through surveillance and early warning systems.
• Biosecurity and value-chain interventions to reduce disease risks.
• Epidemiological modeling, socio-economic impact assessments, and policy engagement.
• Climate-smart strategies to address animal health vulnerabilities linked to environmental change.

The collaboration marks a pivotal step in bridging science and policy to tackle interconnected health challenges worldwide.