๐ง๐ต๐ฒย ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ดย ๐ต๐๐ตย ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑย ๐ข๐ป๐ฒย ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ตย ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ย ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑย ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐นย ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ย ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ย ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒย ๐๐ผย ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒย ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒย ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐นย ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. Mostย concerningย is the persistent exclusion of the Global South. Severe visa restrictions and the prohibitive costs of international travel and registration routinely block experts and early career researchers from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
These systemic barrier perpetuate a problematic power dynamic, one where the global community keeps talking about or for LMICs, rather than collaborating with them.
Moreover, early-career researchers face an additional layer of financial and logistical hurdles, further stifling the integration of the next generation of One Health leadership.
To ensure the next World One Health Congress (WOHC) moves beyond performative representation, future planning must prioritize structural equity through five concrete actions.
๐ญ.โ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ-๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐
The framework must shift to active co-creation by mandating equitable representation of LMIC experts on all scientific and organizing committees. The congress must design solutions with the Global South, not just present solutions to them.
๐ฎ.โ ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Organizers must partner with the host countryโs government well in advance to establish expedited visa pathways, guaranteed consular support, or special event visas explicitly for delegates from high-refusal regions.
๐ฏ.โ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
The congress needs to implement deeply tiered registration pricing, significantly expand full-ride travel grants, and create dedicated, sustainable funding pools for Global South representatives and early-career researchers.
๐ฐ.โ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
Future congresses should design dedicated platforms, mentorship tracks, and subsidized integration events that bring early career researchers directly into mainstream science and policy discussions, rather than keeping them on the periphery.
๐ฑ.โ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ณ๐๐น ๐ต๐๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
Planners must move beyond passive livestreams to build a fully interactive, low-bandwidth-friendly virtual model. This ensures those permanently blocked by borders or budgets still maintain a genuine, participatory seat at the table.
Prof. Bassirou Bonfoh, Director of Afrique One
Read / Download “Operationalizing One Health in Africa: Research and Governance for Sustainable Impact“
