Framework will integrate systems and capacity to collectively better prevent, predict, detect and respond to health threats
One Health s the primary approach for addressing the complex health challenges facing our society, such as ecosystem degradation, food system failures, infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Photo: WHO_ Four multilateral agencies have launched a global ‘One Health’ plan to better address threats to all living beings as well as the environment.
The ‘Quadripartite’ — comprising the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organziation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health — unveiled the five-year One Health Joint Action Plan October 17, 2022.
The Joint Plan of Action will create a framework and integrate systems and capacity to collectively better prevent, predict, detect and respond to health threats, said a press note. This will help improve the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment, while contributing to sustainable development.
One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of humans, animals, plants and ecosystems. It is the primary approach for addressing the complex health challenges facing our society, such as ecosystem degradation, food system failures, infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
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The One Health Joint Plan of Action, developed through a participatory process, provided a set of activities that aim to strengthen collaboration, communication, capacity building and coordination. These will be equally applicable on across all sectors responsible for addressing health concerns.
The plan is valid from 2022-2026 and is aimed at mitigate the health challenges at global, regional, and country levels.
Six key areas were focused on in the plan are:
Action Track 5 deals with curbing the silent pandemic of AMR, which is a major global threat affecting the human, animal, plant, food, and environmental sectors.
The plan has outlined joint action to preserve antimicrobial efficacy. It also focused on ensuring sustainable and equitable access to antimicrobials for responsible and prudent use in human, animal and plant health has been outlined for it.
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The concept of One Health recognises the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent. Efforts by just one sector or speciality cannot prevent or eliminate infectious disease and other complex threats to One Health.
“Vulnerable populations of all species, including the poorest and marginalised humans, bear the highest costs,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen stated in a press note.
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, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“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 Ghebreyesus.
AMR has multiple drivers and must be addressed on multiple fronts. A One Health approach is necessary to make sure that all sectors and stakeholders communicate and collaborate successfully.
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