Samoa launches $4.8 million One Health project to strengthen pandemic preparedness

What is the background?

Samoa’s 2019 measles outbreak showed how fast an infectious disease can overwhelm a small island nation’s health system. Officials have since worked to link human health, animal health, and environmental monitoring, rather than treating each as a separate problem. That approach, known as One Health, recognises that most new disease threats do not start in hospitals.

What happened?

The Government of Samoa officially launched the One Health Pandemic Preparedness and Response project in Apia on 18 February 2026. The launch brought together the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment alongside the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Minister of Health Hon Va’aaoao Salumalo Alofipo told attendees the launch marks “a new chapter in Samoa’s health security journey.”

How did it happen?

The project is funded by a US$4.8 million grant from the Pandemic Fund’s second round of allocations, with the World Bank acting as lead implementing entity alongside FAO and WHO. That grant leverages more than US$5 million in additional co-investment and co-financing from domestic and international sources. Money is earmarked for upgrading laboratory infrastructure for both human and animal health, expanding the Health Climate Early Warning System (H-CLEWS) to integrate human, animal, and environmental surveillance data, and building a skilled, surge-ready health workforce. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is also rolling out updated National Antimicrobial Guidelines and Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines alongside the new funding.

Why does it matter?

Globally, about 60% of infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, meaning they pass between animals and people, and roughly 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases originate in animals. Linking surveillance across health, agriculture, and environment ministries means unusual patterns in livestock or the environment can trigger a human health response sooner. For a country still rebuilding trust in its health system after 2019, that earlier warning matters.

What were the key results?

• US$4.8 million grant awarded to Samoa through the Pandemic Fund’s second allocation round
• More than US$5 million in additional co-investment and co-financing mobilised alongside the grant
• Three government ministries (Health, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Natural Resources and Environment) formally joined under one project
• World Bank, FAO, and WHO confirmed as implementing and technical partners
• 15 Animal Production and Health Division staff completed a 16-week para-veterinary course qualifying them to practice veterinary medicine
• Health Climate Early Warning System (H-CLEWS) expansion now underway to integrate human-animal-environment data

What happens next?

Planned project activities include upgrading laboratory infrastructure for both human and animal health. The agriculture ministry said it is committed to building workforce capacity and sharing animal disease information. Fifteen staff have completed a 16-week para-vet course. WHO’s Dr Wendy Snowdon said the project will support stronger surveillance, laboratories and a workforce ready for new threats.