Evaluation of the implementation of the « One Health » approach and reinforcement of its implementation by 2025 in Central Africa

12/01/2022: Participation of the Association Epidémiologie Santé Publique Vétérinaire: ESPV in the Evaluation of the implementation of the « One Health » approach and reinforcement of its implementation by 2025 in Central Africa.

The « One Health » panel of high-level experts recently drew up a new definition of the approach. The new definition was endorsed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), in December 2021. More operational, the new definition reaffirms that human health, animal health and the environment, through ecosystems and biodiversity, are eminently linked and interdependent.

The FAO/OIE/WHO Tripartite and UNEP promote the « One Health » approach and the interdependence between the human health, animal health and environment sectors at national, regional and global levels to provide synergistic and effective responses to public health threats. Previously, on a regional and sub-regional scale. Against this backdrop, FAO and its partners organized a workshop in Douala, Cameroon, to assess the implementation of the recommendations of previous meetings, and identify the next steps to accelerate the implementation of the « One Health » approach by 2025.

The opening of the workshop was marked by a speech by the Coordinator of the FAO Subregional Office for Central Africa, FAO Representative in Gabon and São Tomé and Principe, Mr Hélder Muteia, who praised « the excellent collaboration with the Economic Community of Central African States, through which a framework of joint working actions for the promotion of the « One Health » approach between FAO and ECCAS is currently being drawn up ». He added that « FAO’s initiatives reflect our renewed commitment to support ECCAS member countries, the ECCAS Commission and the sub-region’s specialized technical institutions in promoting the ‘One Health’ approach.

Representing the President of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Commission, His Excellency Gilberto Da Piedade Verissimo, Mr Ludovic Fiomona Tamadea noted that « as a Community, the ECCAS Commission represents an opportunity to encourage the countries of the sub-region to make a strong commitment to promoting the ‘One Health’ approach, in order to reduce the risks of emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases ».

The OIE Representative for Africa, Dr. Karim Tounkara, reviewed the objectives of the workshop, encouraging countries to « step up their commitment to ensure real collaboration between all stakeholders in the ‘One Health’ approach, as it is indeed the countries that are in the front line in tackling health challenges ».

Representing Dr. Phanuel Habimana, WHO Country Office Representative, Mr. Douba Epee declared that « the FAO-OIE-WHO Tripartite and UNEP promote collaboration between the human health, animal health and environment sectors to provide synergistic and more effective responses to reduce public health threats. In other words, the « One Health » approach.

Accelerate implementation of recommendations

The workshop, whose organization was supported by FAO’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease Control (ECTAD), was attended by representatives from the following countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Central African Republic, DRC, Sao Tome and Principe and Chad: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo and Sao Tome & Principe. Also represented were the Executive Secretariat of the Commission des Forets d’Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC), the Commission Economique du Bétail, de la Viande et des Ressources Halieutiques (CEBIVERAH), the Organisation de Coordination et de Coopération pour la lutte contre les endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), Ecole Régionale Post-Universitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrée des Forets et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Centre Inter-Etats d’Enseignement Supérieur en Santé Publique d’Afrique Centrale (CIESPAC), Ecole de Faune de Garoua (EFG), Réseau Universitaire Une Seule Sante (AFROHUN) and the following partners: World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control (US CDC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The wildlife trade monitoring network (TRAFFIC) and Epidemiology – Public Health – Veterinary Association (ESPV).

Participants confirmed that real progress had been made in implementing the recommendations made at previous workshops, despite differences between member states. Priority areas and actions for intervention were identified, as well as the follow-up mechanism for the full implementation of these recommendations. Participants also shared their experiences in terms of successes, challenges and solutions. The experience of countries with « One Health » and the active participation of ECCAS technical institutions contributed in particular to the quality of the exchanges and the development of a common framework to accelerate the concerted and effective implementation of the « One Health » approach in Central Africa by 2025.

The workshop was financially supported by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). In the context of the « One Health » approach, FAO is working with these partners to support its Member States in better preparing for, preventing, detecting, combating and controlling zoonotic diseases and all other threats at the interface of environmental, animal (wild, domestic) and human health.

Source : FAO