Tuesday, 15 Syaaban 1447H / 5 February 2026 – The Ministry of Health, through the Department of Environmental Health Services is convening the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) Workshop from the 3rd to 5th February 2026. The workshop is conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The Opening Ceremony of the workshop was held today, Tuesday, 3 February 2026, and was graced by the presence of Yang Mulia Dr Hjh Rafidah binti Hj Gharif, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, as the Guest of Honour. The ceremony commenced with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa, followed by welcoming remarks by Yang Mulia Dr Hjh Rafidah binti Hj Gharif and remarks by Mr Andre Furco, One Health Approach Technical Expert, World Organisation for Animal Health.

The OHZDP workshop brings together over 40 participants including Directors, Heads of Divisions as well as senior officials from the human health, animal health, wildlife, and environmental sectors, as well as other relevant agencies and academic partners, to jointly identify and prioritize zoonotic diseases of greatest national concern using a structured tool developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the course of the three-day workshop, participants will work collaboratively to finalize an initial list of zoonotic diseases, agree on prioritization criteria, and develop a nationally endorsed list of priority zoonotic diseases for Brunei Darussalam. The discussions will also focus on identifying practical next steps and joint action plans to strengthen prevention, surveillance, preparedness, and response for the prioritized diseases.

This initiative underscores Brunei Darussalam’s strong commitment to advancing the One Health approach and strengthening national health security in line with regional and global frameworks. By fostering structured multisectoral collaboration, the OHZDP workshop supports more coherent decision-making and targeted investments to address zoonotic diseases with the greatest potential impact on public health, animal health, and socio-economic stability.

The Ministry of Health acknowledges with appreciation the technical expertise provided by the WHO, WOAH and FAO as well as the support from Global Affairs Canada through the ASEAN Mitigation of Biological Threats (MBT) Programme.

This workshop marks an important milestone in strengthening Brunei Darussalam’s national One Health initiative by establishing a clear, consensus-driven set of zoonotic disease priorities to guide coordinated action across sectors. The outcomes of the OHZDP workshop will provide a strategic foundation for future policy development, capacity building and multisectoral collaboration, ensuring Brunei Darussalam is better prepared to prevent, detect and respond to zoonotic disease threats in an increasingly interconnected world.

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Reference:    KK/JDP/ PR 3