Health stakeholders in Ondo State have stressed the need to strengthen the state’s ‘One Health’ initiative to prevent the outbreak of zoonotic diseases.

While making the recommendation in a communiqué issued at the end of a five-day capacity-building programme held at the Public Service Training Institute in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Council of the state, the stakeholders called for a collaborative effort to tackle the situation.

The capacity building, facilitated by the State Coordination Office of the World Bank-assisted Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), which featured key stakeholders, such as veterinary doctors, environmental officers.

With the training tagged, ‘Training on Using One Health Approach for Disease Monitoring and Investigation, Risk Communication, and the National Action Plan on One Health Implementation for One Health Officers,’ the stakeholders were tasked with enhancing the application of the One Health approach.

According to Olayato Aribo, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been proactive through infrastructural development and the recruitment of about 1,000 health workers, as well as the provision of modern agricultural implements, among other initiatives.

Aribo noted the governor has shown commitment to promoting food security in the state through the payment of the L-PRES Project counterpart fund.