Understanding the Partner Landscape for Zoonotic Diseases and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Capacity Strengthening Efforts in Ethiopia

Multisectoral collaboration is critical for improving global health security; however, little has been known about how it occurs in order to strengthen public health capacities in low-income settings. We used a multiple case study design to explore multisectoral collaboration in Ethiopia for strengthening public health capacities in 2 cases: public health emergency preparedness and zoonotic diseases. Document analysis and in-depth interviews identified partners for each case and examined partner roles and responsibilities. Partners perceived Ethiopian government entities as leading capacity development, and multisectoral collaboration as important to efforts. Platforms convening sectors and partners, such as the National One Health Steering Committee, were important collaboration facilitators. Institutionalizing multisectoral collaboration can improve leadership awareness and commitment to collaboration. A common understanding of roles and responsibilities in collaboration efforts can also improve accountability, sustainability, and trust. Research findings can improve understanding of how multisectoral collaboration occurs in Ethiopia for public health capacity development. Findings can also provide considerations for strengthening and leveraging multisectoral collaboration to improve public health capacities and systems in other low-income settings. Additional research can expand the evidence base for how multisectoral collaboration increases global health security.