If the Covid-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is that the health of people, animals, and the environment is inseparable. In Kenya, however, we continue to treat them as though they exist in isolation.
Floods in Garissa, recurring droughts in the north, locust invasions in the Horn of Africa, and frequent cholera outbreaks remind us that the threats we face are connected and demand collective solutions.
This is the essence of the one health approach, which recognises that human, animal, and environmental health are closely interlinked.
The statistics are sobering. Globally, more than 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, passed from animals to humans.
Kenya is no stranger to this reality. Rift Valley Fever periodically devastates pastoralist communities, rabies remains a threat in rural households, and malaria is creeping into highland zones once thought too cold for mosquitoes. Antimicrobial resistance is also growing, fuelled by the misuse of antibiotics in hospitals and on livestock farms.
The government has made progress. Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Environment, and Water have acknowledged their stake in safeguarding health. Research institutions like the Kenya Medical Research Institute provide critical evidence-based data.
At the same time, global partners such as the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) continue to support collaborative frameworks. The Climate Change Act and Vision 2030 provide strong policy anchors.
The real weakness, however, lies in implementation. Ministries and agencies often work in silos, leaving gaps that diseases, disasters, and climate shocks exploit.
Climate change is magnifying these vulnerabilities. Unpredictable rainfall brings alternating cycles of drought and floods, displacing communities, fuelling hunger, and increasing the risk of disease spillovers between people and animals.
Forest destruction in Kitui, Mau, and elsewhere accelerates climate change while driving wildlife into human settlements, raising the likelihood of new disease outbreaks.
The solution is not to address health, climate, and agriculture as separate challenges but to weave them into a single vision. Counties can take the lead by strengthening inter-ministerial coordination, building early warning systems that link climate and health data, and involving frontline communities in surveillance and response.
The private sector has an equally important role in adopting safer farming practices, promoting responsible antibiotic use, and investing in climate-resilient systems that protect both people and ecosystems.
Kenya is uniquely placed to lead this integration.
Hosting UNEP, chairing the first Africa Climate Summit, and playing an active role in global negotiations give the country both visibility and responsibility. If government ministries, research institutions, civil society, the private sector, and communities pull together, Kenya can model a One Health system for the continent.
The dividends would be immense: stronger health systems, safer food, cleaner environments, and fewer outbreaks.
The cost of waiting for the next pandemic or climate disaster will always be higher. One Health and climate action are not tomorrow’s aspirations. They are urgent responsibilities that Kenya must act on today.
The writer is a climate action enthusiast and a communications specialist at Windward Communications Consultancy.
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