Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Recent global health crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Mpox, Ebola outbreaks, and persistent threats of zoonotic diseases, food safety issues, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenges, along with ecosystem degradation and climate change, underscore the critical need for resilient health systems and swift global intervention.
The One Health approach emerges as the key for addressing these intricate challenges. In their inaugural in-person meeting, earlier this year, the leaders of the quadripartite organisations driving the One Health initiative issued an unprecedented call for heightened global action.
Comprising the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organisation (WHO), and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the quadripartite envisions collective efforts to achieve what no single sector can accomplish independently.
Stressing the urgency of intensified collaboration and a dedicated commitment to translating the One Health approach into global policy action, the quadripartite leaders advocate for countries and key stakeholders to prioritise specific actions.
These include promoting awareness and advocacy for One Health priorities, identifying gaps and opportunities, enhancing One Health governance, supporting funding or investment for One Health, utilising the One Health Joint Plan of Action as a blueprint, implementing the One Health approach across relevant policies, and facilitating One Health research, knowledge, and capacity-building.
This strategic agenda aims to fortify global resilience and responsiveness in the face of evolving health challenges.