Initiating a Dynamic Co-Constructed One Health Project: reflections from Participatory Action Research in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo

In an era of interconnected global challenges, the One Health (OH) approach emerges as a beacon of collaborative resilience in the face of emerging pandemics. The implications are particularly profound in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a known hotspot for infectious diseases. Recognizing this, we employed Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a community-centered approach to implementing the OH framework to address environmental, animal, and human health issues in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) area. Through a structured process of knowledge integration, we enhance our comprehension of underlying issues while establishing a sustained partnership with the community. This approach ensures that solutions are not only contextually relevant but are the product of a collaborative co-construction, thereby reinforcing long-term resilience at the community level. This article explores the application of this approach, detailing the co-construction process and sharing challenges regarding power dynamics, and lessons learned from the project implementation in a humanitarian context.