A comprehensive bibliometric review of One Health research in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background and Aim: One Health (OH) is an interdisciplinary framework integrating human, animal, and environmental health to address complex health challenges such as zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Despite global adoption, the OH approach in Saudi Arabia lacks comprehensive bibliometric evaluation to reveal trends, collaborations, and research domains. This study aims to provide a bibliometric review of OH research in Saudi Arabia to identify gaps and propose improvements. Materials and Methods: A systematic bibliometric analysis was conducted on OH-related publications from 2011 to 2024. Data were sourced from seven international databases, including Scopus and PubMed. Studies were filtered using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to include those focusing on OH perspectives within Saudi Arabia. Bibliometric tools like VOSviewer and Biblioshiny were employed to analyze publication trends, citation patterns, and thematic areas. Results: A total of 178 publications were analyzed. The Ministry of Health, King Saud University, and King Abdulaziz University emerged as leading contributors. Key themes identified included zoonotic diseases, environmental health, and antimicrobial resistance. The Saudi Medical Journal and the Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences were primary publication platforms. Citations peaked in 2012, largely due to seminal work on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Collaboration patterns showed that domestic partnerships outperformed regional and international collaborations in terms of output, though the latter had higher citation averages. Riyadh was identified as the most productive region. Conclusion: The analysis highlights Saudi Arabia’s growing contributions to OH research, emphasizing the importance of inter-sectoral collaboration. However, challenges remain in aligning research outputs with practical applications, particularly in disease surveillance and public awareness. Strengthening partnerships, enhancing resource allocation, and addressing underrepresented regions are critical for advancing OH implementation.

Keywords

• antimicrobial resistance
• bibliometric analysis
• one health
• saudi arabia
• zoonotic diseases