"One Health" webinar examines problems of zoonoses and offers solutions to the region

On 3 September 2024, a webinar "One Health" was held with the participation of 87 representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), representatives of the European Economic Community (EEC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the Commonwealth of Independent States CIS Executive Committee, authorized bodies of the, Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

The concept of "One Health" is an interdisciplinary approach that works at all levels of healthcare, across human, veterinary and environmental services, based on the concept that the health and well-being of people, animals, plants and their common environment are interrelated and inseparable.

Zoonoses leap the barrier between animals and humans and can easily become transboundary diseases due to lack of controlled trade measures, human mobility, and animal migrations.

Technological innovation can provide solutions to zoonoses that are having significant and widespread impact on a global level.

Risk reduction, the introduction of effective solutions in animal husbandry and techniques to combat antibiotic resistance (AMR) are the main issues that deserve attention and cooperation with all countries of the world.

The webinar participants held consultations reflecting on the experience of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan and the WHO subregional central office in Asian countries as part of independent interdepartmental cooperation on the control of zoonotic infections, protection against antimicrobials and food safety.

As in concluding agreement the participants noted that further study of antimicrobial resistance is needed and that there are strong advantages to the development of a regional laboratory network for the study of antimicrobial resistance in the food industry and agriculture in the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, which is carried out with the support of FAO, are noted.

The possibilities of the upcoming regional event and the implementation of the "One Health" measure in the EAEU member states were also discussed. An agreement was reached to continue work on discussing the concept of the "One Health" concept at the request of representatives of the EAEU member states and Central Asian countries. Cooperation with FAO, WHO, WOAH, the Codex Alimentarius Commission within the framework of the implementation of the approaches outlined in the "One Health" concepts will contribute to the effective counteraction of the spread of infectious and mass non-infectious diseases and the further improvement of the EAEU acts in order to ensure the safety of food products caused by customs products.