African One Health Networks (OHNs) : 2000-2026

This database was created to present an overview of the One Health networks in Africa and characterise them. It is based on a study conducted within the framework of the COHESA project, “Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa”, project involving 12 countries since 2021. Based on existing literature (Mwatondo and al 2023; Provan and Kenis 2008; Khan and al, 2018), we define a OHN as an engagement, whether formal or informal, between three or more countries, autonomous organisations or individuals, with at least two of the following sectors represented: animal health, human health and the environment or ecosystems. Over the 2000-2026 period, we identified 28 OHNs that include African members. Of these, 18 are networks focused on the African continent or subregions, while the remaining 10 have a larger geographical scope. Only 16 of the 28 African OHNs were still active in 2026 Methodology We first considered the list of networks identified by participants during the COHESA Cape Town workshop (Caron et al., 2025). We then consulted Dr Athman Mwatondo (Ministry of Health, Kenya) to access the database of OHNs worldwide that he developed with colleagues in April 2022 and subsequently analysed in Mwatondo et al. (2023). Thanks to his support, this database of 184 OHNs became our main source of analysis, which we further complemented with additional information in particular related to their mode of governance. Based on the data sources described above, we first identified 58 international OH initiatives that include African countries, institutions or individuals as participants. After exploring the websites and available documentation on these entities, we were able to provide a description of them (context of creation, founders, members, main objectives, etc.). We then excluded 30 cases that were more similar to initiatives, projects or programs than to the definition of a network adopted in our methodology. Finally, we excluded 28 inactive OHNs in order to provide an accurate picture of the present situation. Five of the networks were officially declared closed (e.g. OHRECA, closed in December 2025), while the seven others were identified as inactive by us based on an absence of recorded activity for at least a year (e.g. CORDS, which showed no more activities from 2023).