By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
A quadripartite partnership for One Health Approach has strategized to tackle the challenges of human, animal and ecosystem health by using a more integrated approach.
The partners are Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), World Health (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).
The four collaborating groups explained in a news statement titled: “UNEP Joins Alliance to Implement One Health Approach” that the approach aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, ecosystems and the wider environment.
The quadripartite partnership mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities to work together to Foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems.
One Health Approach also addresses the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development, the collaborators said.
They pointed out that their work has seen significant progress in the previous year, stressing that leaders of the earlier three international organizations cooperating across those sectors said they expanded their group to include a fourth body – UNEP.
“At its annual executive meeting this week, the Tripartite partnership for One Health, bringing together the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), formally became the Quadripartite as it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNEP,” the group stated.
“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.”
According to the group, the Memorandum of Understanding noted 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.”
They clarified that the work of the newly expanded alliance will be focused on a One Health Joint Plan of Action, which includes six main action tracks, namely: enhancing countries’ capacity to strengthen health systems under a One Health approach; reducing the risks from emerging or resurfacing zoonotic epidemics and pandemics, as well as controlling and eliminating endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical or vector-borne diseases.
Other action tracks are strengthening the assessment, management and communication of food safety risks; curbing the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and better integrating the environment into the One Health approach.
