Zoonotic diseases, like rabies, avian influenza, Ebola or Rift Valley fever, are those diseases that can spread between animals and people. They continue to be a threat to human health as well as animal health and welfare, but also affect farmers’ livelihoods and countries’ economies. As global trade and travel expands, threats from zoonotic diseases are increasing worldwide. Every day, new health challenges emerge at the human-animal-environment interface which must be faced by collaboration, coordination, communication, and concerted action between different sectors, using a multisectoral One Health approach. However, many countries lack the capacity to implement such an approach.
To support countries to control zoonotic diseases, the Tripartite organisations (FAO, OIE and WHO) have just launched a guide entitled ‘Taking a Multisectoral, One Health Approach: A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries’ (TZG).
Prof. Dirk Pfeiffer (Chair Professor of One Health) was one of the experts who contributed to this new guide which provides principles, best practices and options to assist countries in achieving sustainable and functional collaboration among all the sectors responsible for health. It can be used in its entirety or to fill specific gaps to build or strengthen capacities in multisectoral One Health coordination mechanisms, strategic planning and emergency preparedness, surveillance and information sharing, coordinated investigation and response, joint risk assessment for zoonotic disease threats, risk reduction, risk communication and community engagement, and workforce development. It can also be used for other health threats such as food safety and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
By implementing a One Health approach to address zoonoses costs are reduced, coordination is improved and enhanced public health outcomes are achieved. And by working collaboratively across sectors and disciplines, human and animal lives are saved, livelihoods are secured, and our global health systems are improved in a sustainable way.