For the first time, in October 2023, Mozambique faced an outbreak of Avian Influenza, in a poultry farm in Inhambane province. Avian Influenza is a One Health (OH) issue; it can affect the health of humans, domestic and wild animals but also the agricultural economics and trade. 

The management of zoonosis outbreaks in farm animals is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER). However, effective management requires a multisectoral coordination, which can be a challenge.

The Mozambican One Health platform was officially set up in 2018. It comprises of the Ministries in charge of Health, Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, and has a complementary role to that of these entities. Its mission is to facilitate multi-sectoral coordination in the implementation of the National Health Security Agenda (2022-2027), in order to provide comprehensive responses to complex health problems.

The AI outbreak provided an opportunity to showcase the relevance of this Platform, with technical support from the Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) project.