THE ONE HEALTH CONCEPT
'One Health' is an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes. The “One Health” concept was introduced at the beginning of the 2000s. In a few words, it summarised an idea that had been known for more than a century; that human health and animal health are interdependent and bound to the health of the ecosystems in which they exist.
This concept is envisaged and implemented by the OIE as a collaborative global approach to understanding risks for human and animal health (including both domestic animals and wildlife) and ecosystem health as a whole. The OIE builds upon the intergovernmental standards which it publishes and the worldwide information on animal health that it collects as well as its network of international experts and programmes for strengthening national Veterinary Services. Moreover, it collaborates synergistically with more than 70 other international organisations, particularly those which play a key role in the human–animal–ecosystems interface.
The areas of work in which a One Health approach is particularly relevant include food safety, the control of zoonoses (diseases that can spread between animals and humans, such as flu, rabies and Rift Valley Fever), and combatting antibiotic resistance (when bacteria change after being exposed to antibiotics and become more difficult to treat).
Why do we need a One Health approach?
Many of the same microbes infect animals and humans, as they share the eco-systems they live in. Efforts by just one sector cannot prevent or eliminate the problem. For instance, rabies in humans is effectively prevented only by targeting the animal source of the virus (for example, by vaccinating dogs).
Animals, humans and diseases (All are Interrelated)
Diseases of animal origin that can be transmitted to humans, such as avian influenza, rabies, Rift Valley fever and brucellosis, pose worldwide risks to public health. Other diseases which are mainly transmitted from person to person also circulate in animals or have an animal reservoir, and can cause serious health emergencies, such as the recent epidemic of Ebola virus. These risks increase with globalisation, climate change and changes in human behaviour, giving pathogens numerous opportunities to colonise new territories and evolve into new forms.
Drug-resistant microbes can be transmitted between animals and humans through direct contact between animals and humans or through contaminated food, so to effectively contain it, a well-coordinated approach in humans and in animals is required.
Who makes the One Health approach work?
Many professionals with a range of expertise who are active in different sectors, such as public health, animal health, plant health and the environment, should join forces to support One Health approaches.
Role of Veterinarians and Veterinary Science in One Health :
Veterinary Services, in both their public and private components, play an essential role in the development and implementation of policies to manage animal health risks. In protecting animal health and welfare, they meaningfully contribute towards improving human health, as well as food safety and security.
The veterinary profession has the independence, integrity, knowledge and skills to provide the consumer with reassurance that their expectation of high food safety, human and animal welfare as well as environmental standards has all been met – all the way from farm to fork.
Because of their expertise, veterinarians play critical roles in the health of animals, humans, and even the environment, but these roles are often overlooked or unrecognized. Nonetheless, veterinary medicine is the only profession that routinely operates at the interface of these three components of One Health.
What are the solutions??
Protecting animals to preserve our future
Controlling zoonotic pathogens at their animal source – that is, pathogens that can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa – is the most effective and economic way of protecting people. Consequently, global strategies to prevent and control pathogens must be developed if we are to protect public health. These should be coordinated at the human–animal–ecosystems interface and applied at the national, regional and global levels, through the implementation of appropriate policies.
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| One World=One Health |
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| Let's Move Together |
Let's Move Together, Work Together, Let's Collaborate and Create a Healthy World , A healthy Planet To Live, let's Live together.
This article is Written / Authored by : Sahidul Islam on 5th April, 2021
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