National Assembly and Senate deepen commitment to the One Health approach, with focus on pandemic prevention, legislation and sustainable financing
Cameroon’s Parliament is moving to reinforce its institutional preparedness against future pandemics and emerging health threats, as parliamentarians from the National Assembly and Senate convened Wednesday for a sensitization session on the One Health approach.
Held under the theme, “One Nation, One Health: Strengthening Legislative Leadership to Prevent Health Crises and Safeguard the Future,” the session brought the country’s legislative institutions into a broader national effort to strengthen pandemic prevention and preparedness.
Organized by the National Programme for the Prevention and Fight Against Emerging and Re-emerging Zoonoses (PNPLZER) through the National One Health Platform, the meeting sought to deepen parliamentarians’ understanding of the One Health framework while examining the legislative, policy and financial responsibilities required to prevent and respond to health emergencies.
The session was presided over by Hon. Théophile Baoro, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, representing the Speaker of the Cameroon National Assembly, Right Honourable Théodore Datouo. His participation underscored the growing importance attached to parliamentary leadership in strengthening the country’s capacity to anticipate and manage emerging health threats.
From response to prevention
At the heart of the discussions was a recognition that future health crises cannot be addressed through the health sector alone. The One Health approach rests on the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health, particularly in the prevention of zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance and other emerging and re-emerging threats.
For Cameroon, where human activity, livestock production, wildlife and environmental ecosystems are closely interconnected, the approach offers a framework for improving coordination between sectors before crises escalate.
The discussions therefore placed particular emphasis on the role of Parliament in creating the legal and institutional conditions necessary for effective prevention.
Parliamentarians were encouraged to consider how legislation, public policy and budgetary decisions can support stronger surveillance systems, intersectoral cooperation and national preparedness.
Parliamentary action on the horizon
The meeting also opened discussions on concrete parliamentary mechanisms that could translate the One Health commitment into sustained institutional action.
Among the priorities identified were the development of a parliamentary roadmap on One Health, stronger legislative and budgetary measures, and the possible establishment of a specialized parliamentary group dedicated to One Health issues.
Such mechanisms could provide Parliament with a structured platform to monitor government action, promote cross-sectoral coordination and ensure that pandemic preparedness remains part of the national policy agenda.
The presentations and exchanges were overseen by Senator Charles Mbella Moki, Deputy National Coordinator of the Network of Parliamentarians for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPAR). His involvement further highlighted the link between environmental stewardship and public health within the One Health framework.
A legislative commitment to resilience
The sensitization session marks an important step in broadening Cameroon’s pandemic preparedness agenda beyond emergency response. It places Parliament at the centre of efforts to build systems capable of detecting, preventing and containing health threats before they become national crises.
The message emerging from the deliberations was clear: pandemic preparedness is not solely a medical responsibility. It is also a matter of legislation, financing, environmental governance and political leadership.
By bringing parliamentarians from both chambers together around the One Health approach, Cameroon is seeking to strengthen the institutional foundations of a more coordinated and resilient response to future health emergencies.
The engagement ultimately reflects a growing parliamentary commitment to ensuring that the lessons of past health crises translate into stronger prevention, better coordination and more sustainable preparedness for the crises of tomorrow.