FAO supports One World, One Health concept

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FAO: Momentum builds for 'One World, One Health' concept

Schnirring * Staff Writer

Nov 26, 2008 (CIDRAP News) – At last month's avian flu conference in

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, participants endorsed a new strategy for

fighting avian influenza and other infectious diseases, one that

focuses on points where animal, human, and ecosystems meet, according

to a recent statement by the United Nations Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO).

The groups' support for the " One World, One Health " (OWOH) approach,

detailed in a 68-page strategy report, was overshadowed by news from

the donor session of the meeting of a $350 million infusion of funds,

led by the United States, toward the international fight against avian

influenza, the FAO said. The meeting took place Oct 24 through Oct 26

and was attended by 530 participants from more than 120 countries and

26 regional and international organizations.

The FAO said the strategy paper was released on Oct 14 under the

banner of the FAO, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the

World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the United Nations Influenza

Coordination System, and the World Bank.

The main goal of the OWOH approach is to shrink the risk and global

impact of disease outbreaks by improving livestock and wildlife

intelligence, surveillance, and emergency response through stronger

public and animal health systems, according to the FAO. The approach

calls on broad cooperation among disciplines and sectors and puts a

high priority on " hot spots " for emerging infectious diseases.

" Delegates to the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting welcomed the approach as a

starting point for future action and called for further elaboration of

the concept and clear indications of the roles of all stakeholders in

the process, " the FAO said.

An emerging One World, One Health view

The Wildlife Conservation Society, a nonprofit group based in the

Bronx, N.Y., that is active in 53 countries and manages wildlife parks

and zoos, first introduced the OWOH concept at an international

symposium in 2004. The ideas were presented as 12 recommendations that

served as " Manhattan principles " for a more holistic approach for

preventing disease epidemics and maintaining the global ecosystem to

promote human and animal health, according to the report by the FAO

and its colleagues.

Since then, the concept has picked up momentum through European and US

initiatives, according to the strategy report. For example, the

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) established a task

force in 2004 to address OWOH issues and frequently includes sessions

on the theme at its regional and national conferences, according to

background materials posted on the AVMA Web site.

At a December 2007 international avian flu conference in New Delhi,

participants agreed that they needed a better understanding of the

drivers surrounding emerging infectious diseases and singled out the

OWOH perspectives as helpful for developing medium-term strategies to

address emerging infectious diseases, according to the report.

New proposals take shape

According to the new report by the FAO and its collaborators, the OWOH

approach includes five main strategies:

* Build robust public and animal health systems that comply with

the WHO's International Health Regulations and OIE standards

* Prevent and control disease outbreaks by improving national and

international response capacities

* Address the needs of poor populations by shifting focuses to

developing economies and locally important diseases such as Rift

Valley fever, tuberculosis, and foot-and-mouth disease

* Promote collaborations across sectors and disciplines

* Conduct research that guides the development of targeted disease

control programs.

A benefit of focusing on problems that affect developing world areas

is not only controlling the often-neglected diseases, but also

promoting infectious disease surveillance at the local level, the

report said. " Surveillance systems at the grassroots level that are

based on engaging poor communities by addressing their immediate

disease problems are likely to generate better cooperation and will be

more robust and sustainable in the long term, " it said.

Enhanced global collaboration among national and regional groups to

improve disease surveillance and prevention will also help fight

bioterrorism and agroterrorism, the report notes.

The global fight against avian influenza has already improved

collaboration among the world's public health and veterinary groups,

but a greater focus on pooling resources and forming effective

synergies as part of an OWOH strategy can lead to a better

understanding of the epidemiology of emerging diseases, faster

identification of reservoirs, and more efficient control and

prevention, particularly in poorer countries, according to the report.

To fund OWOH goals, the report suggests expanding the financial model

that has been used since the January 2006 Beijing international avian

influenza conference to include contributions from nonconventional

donors such as groups that fight specific diseases, industry groups,

and foundations.

" The introduction of a special system of levies at the international

level to fund public health infrastructure in several developing

countries, particularly fragile states, would need to be seriously

considered, " the report said.

Looking forward

Canada's government has offered to host a technical meeting in

Winnipeg in early 2009 to further discuss the OWOH strategy, the FAO

said in its press release.

Participants, including the groups that helped author the OWOH report,

will likely discuss what the next steps would be toward implementing

the strategy, how the measures could be financed, and how to encourage

stakeholder buy-in, according to the FAO.

" Timely implementation will contribute significantly to the overall

goal of improving public health, food safety and security, and the

livelihoods of poor farming communities, as well as protecting the

health of ecosystems, " the FAO said.

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