One Health News

 ONE HEALTH Engaging in a Multidisciplinary Approach

Comments by

Bernadette Dunham, DVM, PhD

Milken Institute School of Public Health

The George Washington University

For the BIO International Convention – One Health Day

June 4, 2018, Boston, MA

Dr. Dunham is a member of the One Health Initiative team’s Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.

SEE: http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications/Dunham-One%20Health-06-04-2018.pdf and https://goo.gl/aDpWSH

	Via Google NEWS Alert, See https://www.sciencenews.org/article/outbreak-exhibit-puts-life-cycle-epidemic-display
	'Outbreak' puts the life cycle of an epidemic on display Science News The exhibit, called “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World,” is centered around the concept of One Health — the idea that the health of humans, ...

ONE HEALTH  “Outbreak” explains how the health of humans and other animals are interconnected. Tracking animal diseases before they jump to people is one way to prevent some future epidemics.

One Health Day || Monday, June 4, 2018

12:00 – 12:15pm || Opening Remarks [bipartisan collaboration]

• U.S. Senator Tina Smith (Democrat Minnesota) and U.S. Senator Todd Young (Republican Indiana)—via video

• Tina Smith (MN)

Todd Young (IN)

Note: The One Health approach or framework is a nonpartisan issue for the benefit of all in the U.S. and worldwide! “One Health” has been approved in a 2011 U.S. National League of Cities One Health resolution https://goo.gl/pv4dMV and recently endorsed in a World Bank's 2018 One Health Framework https://goo.gl/r1B8eP.

12:30 – 2:00 pm || One Health Day Keynote Speaker & Panel: Speaker & Panel Moderator: Bernadette Dunham, DVM, PhD, Professorial Lecturer, Milken

Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University.  Dr. Dunham is a member of the One Health Initiative team Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.  

Dr. Bernadette Dunham

SEE current full program: http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications/BIO%202018%20One%20Health%20Day%20Programming%20-%202018-05-29%20(1).pdf

World Organisation for Animal Health

International partnership to address human-animal-environment health risks gets a boost

See: http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/detail/article/international-partnership-to-address-human-animal-environment-health-risks-gets-a-boost/

“This partnership pools the unique expertise of each organization and brings their combined weight to bear to do just that, via a 'One Health' approach," said FAO Director-General, Jose Graziano da Silva.

“... Advances in transportation, the rise of international trade, surging populations and agricultural expansion have dramatically altered how diseases emerge and spread, making a "One Health" approach more essential than ever before. ...”

Paris, 30 May 2018 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) today agreed to step up joint action to combat health threats associated with interactions between humans, animals and the environment.

In a Memorandum of Understanding signed today, FAO, OIE and WHO agreed to strengthen their long-standing partnership, with a strong focus on tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AMR is a high priority for the three organizations, who are working together to develop global systems for AMR surveillance and use of antimicrobials, a global antimicrobial stewardship programme, and a monitoring and evaluation framework for the global action plan. A current comprehensive framework of international standards on responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials is regularly adapted to keep up with the development of scientific knowledge.
 
In addition to AMR, the new agreement will focus on improving disease forecasting capabilities for more informed and swifter responses to emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases (including foodborne diseases); helping countries strengthen their national health systems; and undertaking joint activities related to reduction of threats.

"Over 60% of existing and emerging pathogens affecting humans originate in animals; 75% of these from wildlife. So we cannot deal with human health, animal health, and ecosystem health in isolation - we have to look at them together, and address them together. This partnership pools the unique expertise of each organization and brings their combined weight to bear to do just that, via a 'One Health' approach," said FAO Director-General, Jose Graziano da Silva.

“Each sector has its own specificities but the Members Countries of our three organisations face the same challenges. Our collaboration is therefore fundamental to better help them respond, demonstrating that partnerships between international organisations support those at the regional, national and even local levels. This shows that the One Health approach is not just a concept, it's a daily reality that we build together through the development and the implementation of an ambitious working programme focused on our common priorities.” said OIE Director General, Dr Monique Eloit.

“The threat of antimicrobial resistance affects humans, animals and our ecosystem. That’s why the Tripartite Partnership of WHO, FAO and OIE is so vital,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “Working together is the only way to avoid the huge human, social, economic and environmental costs of antimicrobial resistance."

Rising to meet new challenges

Advances in transportation, the rise of international trade, surging populations and agricultural expansion have dramatically altered how diseases emerge and spread, making a "One Health" approach more essential than ever before.

FAO, WHO and OIE have been working together since the 1940s and, in 2010, formally established collaborative work on antimicrobial resistance and tackling diseases such as influenza and rabies. In 2017, their second strategic document was released reaffirming their commitment.

Bringing together knowledge, insights and technical capacities in human and animal health and food and agriculture can generate strong synergies, for more robust, effective and cost-efficient solutions to the complex health problems facing the world today.

Joint activities under the new agreement will include:

• Supporting the Interagency Coordination Group on AMR established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016, as well as the continuing implementation of the Global Action Plan on AMR
• Engaging with countries to reinforce national and regional human health, animal health and food safety services
• Improving inter-agency collaboration in foresight analysis, risk assessment, preparedness building and joint responses to emerging, remerging and neglected infectious diseases at the animal-human-ecosystems interface
• Addressing food safety challenges requiring a multi-sector approach in the context of reinforcing food security.
• Promoting coordinated research and development to achieve a common understanding of the highest priority zoonotic diseases and the research and development needed to prevent, detect, and control them
• Developing a Voluntary Code of Conduct to reinforce implementation of international standards on responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials

 Speech by OIE Director General, Dr Monique Eloit on the signing of the MOU

Useful links:

• OIE press release: Three new steps in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
• OIE Portal on AMR
• OIE Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Prudent Use of Antimicrobials

 Media contacts

OIE
Catherine Bertrand-Ferrandis
+33 6 16 46 28 90
Email : media@oie.int

FAO
George Kourous
(+39) 06 570 53168
Email: george.kourous@fao.org

WHO
Sarah Cumberland
Tel: +41 79 206 1403
Email: cumberlands@who.int 

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security find that a potential global catastrophic risk-level pandemic pathogen will most likely have a respiratory mode of transmission.

“... Cultivating and maintaining expertise in the epidemiology, surveillance, and pathogenicity of all classes of microbes, with explicit incorporation of a One Health approach—which incorporates and integrates information from infectious diseases of plants, amphibians, and reptiles—will help foster the flexible and robust capacity needed for pandemic preparedness and GCBR work. ...”

GLOBAL PANDEMIC PATHOGEN: Characteristic, host factors – Outbreak News release today...

and see http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2018/180510-pandemic-pathogens-report.pdf

Recommendation 1: Preparedness against GCBR-level threats should have a focused approach with some flexibility.

Though the highest-ranked pandemic potential pathogens were RNA viruses spread via the respiratory route, it is important to distinguish between what is most likely and what is possible. RNA viruses spread via the respiratory route merit prioritization, but other classes of microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, should not be dismissed. Since RNA viruses that are spread via the respiratory route have the characteristics that are most concerning in terms of their ability to cause global catastrophic threats, surveillance, science, and countermeasure development programs and efforts should logically allocate significant resources to them.  Except for influenza and certain coronaviruses, this is largely not the case. In addition, as we said above, other classes of infections should not be ignored given their pandemic potential characteristics.

Cultivating and maintaining expertise in the epidemiology, surveillance, and pathogenicity of all classes of microbes, with explicit incorporation of a One Health approach—which incorporates and integrates information from infectious diseases of plants, amphibians, and reptiles—will help foster the flexible and robust capacity needed for pandemic preparedness and GCBR work.

U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor & Pensions

1. Hearings

   Executive Session S.2852, Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018

   Date held: Wednesday, May 23, 2018  Time: 10:00 AM Location: 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building

   SEE: https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/s2852-pandemic-and-all-hazards-preparedness-and-advancing-innovation-act-of-2018

    

   This audio-video is 56.10 minutes

    

   U.S. Senator Patty Murray (Democrat-Washington) spoke favorably about the introduction of One Health into S.2852 by Senator Tina Smith (Democrat-Minnesota).  Notably Senator Smith and Senator Todd Young (Republican-Indiana) proposed including the life protecting/life-saving One Health approach into this bipartisan bill.   One Health per se is a nonpartisan issue for the protection, health and wellbeing of all.   

• Patty Murray (WA)

• Tina Smith (MN)

• Todd Young (IN)

New One Health Initiative Advisory Board (Hon.) Member Announced – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), Dr. Garth Manning

The One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team is delighted to announce that an outstanding One Health supporter/advocate leader, physician Dr. Garth Manning has agreed to serve on the One Health Initiative Advisory Board (Hon.) http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.  The board was established in 2010 and includes extraordinary, recognized One Health leaders in the U.S. and worldwide.

Garth Manning, MB BCh BAO, DRCOG, DAvMed, MRCGP, FRCGP

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA)http://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/

152 North Sathon Road
Silom, Bangrak
Bangkok 10500
Thailand

drgarthmanning@me.com;  ceo@wonca.net  

“WONCA, the World Organisation of Family Doctors [physicians], now has over 118 Member Organizations in 131 countries and territories with membership of about 500,000 family doctors [physicians]"

Note: WONCA CEO Dr. Manning originally notified the One Health Initiative team of WONCA support/endorsement of One Health in July 2015 https://goo.gl/NT8Aeu.