Capacity building for zoonosis control in China: Assessing needs and gaps by the one health lens

Background: Traditional sector-specific approaches are inadequate to effectively address zoonosis control at the human-animal-environment interface, whereas the One Health approach promotes multisectoral collaboration and integrated solutions. To apply this approach, competence enhancement is essential, yet there is insufficient understanding of China's capacity-building under the One Health framework, hindering targeted development of the workforce needed. Objective: To assess the gaps and needs of capacity building for zoonosis control in China. Methods: From December 2023 to April 2024, field investigations were conducted in two Chinese provinces with purposively sampled participants from various administrative sectors. Semi-structured interviews (40-60 minutes) were conducted, with a One Health Capacity Building Framework developed to guide both the design and analysis. Interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed through iterative thematic analysis. A unified codebook was developed through weekly consensus meetings, and higher-order themes were identified under expert supervision. The final themes were mapped onto the framework and visualized using a heatmap to identify the most prominent gaps and needs. Results: In total, 77 participants were engaged, spanning the human health (44.2 %), animal health (18.2 %), environmental management (20.8 %) and multidisciplinary coordination (16.8 %) sectors. China's One Health capacity building revealed three challenges: (i) Structural fragmentation with divided responsibilities and inadequate cross-sectoral governance mechanisms; (ii) Resource disparities showing severe township-level shortages and persistent funding gaps for critical projects; and (iii) Knowledge deficits including insufficient research on emerging pathogens and training programs lacking practical collaboration components. Critical needs focused on strengthening the grass-root infrastructure, sustaining One Health training programs, and enhancing problem-solving capabilities. Conclusion: The current status and needs in capacity building for zoonosis prevention in China were identified. The results would provide evidence-based recommendations to optimize prevention and control of China's zoonotic disease and advance global health security through strengthened One Health implementation.