Leaders of three international organisations working in these sectors revealed that there has been significant progress in the last year in efforts to address the challenges of human and animal health.
Group to include a fourth entity, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
This week’s annual executive meeting saw the Tripartite Partnership for One Health (FAO, WHO, and WHO) come together to form the Tripartite Partnership for One Health.
(OIE) officially became the Quadripartite when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding to UNEP.
One Health aims to sustainably balance the health of people and animals, as well as the environment. It unites diverse disciplines, communities and sectors to collaborate to combat threats and foster well-being.
Health and ecosystems. It addresses the collective need to have clean water, energy, and air, safe, nutritious food, and action on climate change.
“We are stronger with UNEP joining the Tripartite, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said, adding: “UNEP is already active in relevant areas of Tripartite work.” The Memorandum of Understanding notes that UNEP “sets the environmental
agenda and promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the UN system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.”
The work of the newly expanded alliance will be focused on a One Health Joint Plan of Action, which includes six main action tracks: enhancing countries’ capacity to strengthen health systems under a One Health approach; reducing the risks from
Emerging or resurfacing zoonotic pandemics and pandemics; controlling or eliminating endemic vector-borne, neglected tropical, or zoonotic diseases; strengthening assessment, management, and communication of food safety risk; curbing the silent
pandemic of antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and better integration the environment into One Health.
Implementation is the key challenge
As FAO handed over the rotating chair of the secretariat to WHO, Director-General Qu noted the past year’s substantial progress in efforts to collectively develop the action plan and added: “Now the challenge is implementation: how do we translate
Our work on the ground to support Members And how do we mobilize funding and financing mechanisms to support the Joint Plan for Action?”
In his opening remarks, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “We need to build a more comprehensive and coordinated One Health governance structure at global level. We need a strong workforce, a committed political will, as well as sustained funding.
financial investment. We need to develop a more proactive way of communicating and engaging across sectors, disciplines and communities to elicit the change we need.”
Monique Eloit, OIE Director General acknowledged the key milestone of the MoU with UNEP, saying: “Today, I am particularly pleased that our Tripartite collaboration is expanded to include UNEP as an equal partner. Its expertise, mandate, and networks
One Health will be able to make an important contribution. This new chapter in our partnership will make us stronger and more prepared to serve our members and address global health challenges”.
UNEP’s Executive Director Inger Andersen said: “What is apparent to everyone involved in One Health is that no one sector can solve the many problems we face alone. To secure human, animal and environment health – to secure the
very future of this planet – we need more collaboration and partnerships. If we want to thrive together, we must stand together and work together. UNEP, as the newest full member of the Alliance, is ready to do its part as an equal partner.”
One Health Awareness is growing
As the world enters its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic with an estimated cost of $8 trillion to 16 trillion, there is increasing awareness and widespread recognition of One Health’s importance as a long-term, viable, and sustainable approach. It is also
Now, we are firmly anchored in the global agenda, starting with the G7 and G20 to UN Food Systems Summit. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UN Food) registered a One Health Commitment to support a global One Health Coalition.
Systems Summit, which aims to increase engagement across sectors and disciplines and at all levels of society. This commitment will be used to help shape national agrifood sector transformation pathways as part the Summit follow-up.
The Tripartite implemented a number of other initiatives last year on One Health, including Anti-Microbial Resistance. The One Health High-Level Expert Panel played an important advisory role in scientific research. One Health Regional Platforms were strengthened, and new ones were created to share information.
These are best practices. Important progress was also made in establishing a Joint Framework on AMR, a Global Leaders’ Group on AMR, and in work towards an AMR Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform, mobilizing resources and action to fight antimicrobial
Resistance that threatens millions’ lives. These achievements are a result of the successful cooperation between UNEP and Tripartite, which has now reached an important milestone with the signing of a formal collaboration accord.