The Republic of the Marshall Islands is enhancing its national emergency response and preparedness by applying the One Health approach, setting a precedent for other North Pacific islands. In September 2025, Marshall Islands collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen the country's capabilities in food safety and zoonotic disease preparedness, two significant action tracks under the One Health Joint Plan of Action.
The country's unique geography and increasing vulnerability to climate change have intensified health risks, leading to a rise in foodborne illnesses, zoonotic spillovers, and respiratory epidemics. To tackle these multifaceted health security challenges, the WHO-led workshop united participants from diverse fields, including food safety, forestry, customs, agriculture and animal health, and natural resources. This multisectoral approach was crucial for addressing the interconnected nature of these health security risks.
"One of the key lessons learned from this workshop is the importance of multisectoral coordination," said Silver Wase, Chief of Quarantine, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, Marshall Islands. "Zoonotic diseases are crosscutting, and opportunities like these help bring the relevant stakeholders together to better address any future outbreaks."
Strengthening multisectoral capacities for zoonoses and food safety
Interactive exercises during the workshop — including field visits to the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority and the Ministry of Health and Human Services — enabled participants to better define their roles and responsibilities for a coordinated, multisectoral outbreak response.
As a result of these efforts, Marshall Islands developed a joint Preparedness and Response Framework for Zoonotic Diseases, drawing from the Tripartite Response Preparedness (RePrep) tool. Marshall Islands also became one of the first Northern Pacific nations to adopt the Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022–2030 – exemplifying its commitment to advancing health security and safeguarding public health. The WHO-led workshop yielded additional concrete outcomes, including a multisectoral roadmap to enhance the capacities of national food safety systems.
“The roadmap to enhance national food safety systems will serve as a blueprint for our Food Safety task force as it sets priorities for collective action. It will enable us to be better prepared for any future food-related incident,” said Edgar Morales, Competent Authority, Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority.
/teams/regional-emergencies-programme-and-division-of-health-security-and-emergencies-(dse)/country-health-emergency-preparedness-ihr-(cpi)/mi-workshop.jpg?sfvrsn=e32a9f0d_3 "Marshall Islands One Health workshop session")
Collective power: establishing a platform for multisectoral collaboration
A critical need identified during the workshop was the establishment of a mechanism to facilitate routine information exchange and multisectoral coordination for early detection and emergency preparedness. As a next step, Marshall Islands will establish a One Health platform – a technical working group – to serve this purpose.
Edlen Anzures, Deputy Secretary for Planning and Coordination, Ministry of Health and Human Services added, "We must all work together to jointly address multisectoral challenges that we all face, more holistically. A One Health Technical Working Group will foster solidarity in emergency preparedness and response."
Solidifying its commitment to safeguarding public health
Looking ahead, Marshall Islands will build on momentum generated through the workshop and implement priority actions under the Preparedness and Response Framework for Zoonotic Diseases and Food Safety Roadmap. The WHO Country Office commended Marshall Islands' ownership of and commitment to this process. These tools will guide the government and its partners in translating priorities into coordinated action, ensuring that policies, systems, and capacities evolve together to protect communities from emerging health threats. WHO will continue to provide technical guidance and facilitate collaboration among national sectors and regional partners to sustain progress.
Marshall Islands proactive approach shows the global community that a small island nation can lead the way in building powerful, climate-resilient health security.