Photo by Delwyn Verasamy/M&G
Four United Nations agencies recently launched the One Health Joint Plan of Action, which calls for collaboration in dealing with problems that threaten people’s health, wildlife and the natural environment.
“It’s clear that a One Health approach must be central to our shared work to strengthen the world’s defences against epidemics and pandemics such as Covid-19. That’s why One Health is one of the guiding principles of the new international agreement for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, which our member states are now negotiating” said World Health Organisation director general Tedros Ghebreyesus.
Humans, animals, plants and ecosystems are interconnected and the demise of one can harm or even cause the collapse of the other.
The five-year plan, from 2022 to 2026, focuses on the following areas:
- Strengthening health systems;
- Reducing the risks from emerging and re-emerging zoonotic (animals passing diseases to people) epidemics and pandemics;
- Controlling and eliminating endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical and vector-borne diseases (transmitted by the bite of an infected species);
- Strengthening the assessment, management and communication of food safety risks;
- Curbing the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR); and
- Integrating the environment into One Health
The One Health Joint Plan of Action was launched by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the WHO and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Breaking down the plan
The plan aims to bring together different sectors and people to work together to address the need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, to take action on climate change, and contribute to sustainable development.
“Vulnerable populations of all species, including the most poor and marginalised humans, bear the heaviest costs,” said UNEP executive director Inger Andersen when explaining the plan on the WHO website.
“One Health provides a more comprehensive assessment of health challenges, thereby facilitating the development of appropriate prevention and management strategies and inclusive evidence-based policies to strengthen and develop sustainable health systems and ecosystems. These, in turn, help to build social, ecological and economic resilience.”
One Health initiatives are emerging around the world, with many countries and regions encouraging collaboration between professionals from different disciplines, working from local to global levels across sectors and institutional divides.
In 2017, for example, governments gathered at the UN Environment Assembly to speak about the effect of pollution and their commitment to working towards a pollution-free planet. The UNEP was tasked with coordinating the implementation of a global plan, Towards a Pollution-free Planet.
Another example is a global network of Field Epidemiology Training Programmes, which is building a workforce to protect all people from public health threats.
Countries such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Angola and Bangladesh are among 165 countries whose public health workforces are being trained by the programme.
Another initiative that has emerged as a result of the One Health plan is the Emerging Infectious Diseases Prevention, Preparedness and Response Project by the World Bank. It says the project seeks to strengthen systems in China to reduce the risk of zoonotic and other emerging health threats.
“China is a high-risk area for emerging infectious diseases due to the combination of human population density, wildlife abundance, high levels of livestock production, land-use changes and habitat fragmentation” said Martin Raiser, World Bank country director for China.
A $300 million loan from the World Bank is set to improve the surveillance of these diseases and antibiotic use in the human health and animal health sectors. The project is set to detect early warning systems and encourage proactive reporting.
The Chemical Observatory project has been set up in some African countries to effectively deal with chemicals and hazardous waste management. This project is in partnership with universities, NGOs, the UN and the WHO.
Challenges
But implementation of a plan of this nature does not come without difficulties. The biggest is to get the human, animal and the environment health fields together. It is also difficult to ensure adequate communication, collaboration and coordination between the different players.
According to the WHO, the One Health plan needs to:
- Establish databases and resources to support information sharing and action in line with a One Health approach;
- Identify and showcase best practice examples of One Health implementation;
- Mapp existing initiatives and capacities for One Health research and build the next generation One Health work force; and
- Develop a model for an integrated One Health surveillance system.
One Health needs support from investors, NGOs and people working in specific sectors. It requires leaders to be involved at the local level, create policies and establish collaboration to create a more sustainable, healthier and safer world.
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