PAHO Member Countries Urged to Leverage ‘One Health’ Policy

Member countries of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are being encouraged to leverage PAHO’s new ‘One Health’ Policy to reduce the risk of a new pandemic.

The policy, approved by regional ministers of health at PAHO’s recent Directing Council meeting, outlines a blueprint for countries to bring together experts and officials from varying sectors to address some of the most challenging issues, including zoonotic diseases, food safety, anti-microbial resistance, and climate change.

This coordination aims to improve the prevention and preparedness for future health threats arising from the interconnection between humans, animals, and the environment.

Speaking during PAHO’s weekly COVID-19 digital briefing on Wednesday (October 6), the entity’s Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, said the policy comes against the background of emerging pathogens that have the potential for public health risk.

She noted that “almost all of these are either zoonotic, meaning they can transmit from animals to people, or [are] common to humans and animals”.

Dr. Etienne said that as climate change impacts ecosystems and people come into closer contact with animals via urbanisation and deforestation, the potential for a spillover of existing and emerging pathogens “is increasing”.

“We have seen that diseases that spill from animals to people can have severe impacts. The health sector plays a critical role in managing this risk; but it can’t do it alone. That’s why it’s crucial that pandemic plans and policies reflect the expertise and recommendations of public health, animal health and environmental sectors,” the Director noted.

She said that this is especially critical in the Americas, which has tropical zones “with high potential to harbour new diseases”.

In addition, she pointed out that with the economies of many member countries being heavily reliant on agricultural production and exportation, the threat of animal diseases has the potential to impact multiple industries and national development.

Dr. Etienne said the ‘One Health’ approach has long been a priority for PAHO, noting that it expands on a strategy developed by the entity in the late 1990s for strengthening surveillance of emerging infectious diseases, inclusive of human-animal interface.

She noted that the integrated surveillance approach under the policy leverages animal health institutes to monitor animal and human diseases, conduct joint risk assessments, and host workshops and training on issues like yellow fever.

“We need countries to ensure that animal, agricultural and environmental partners are brought to the table to build more robust surveillance systems that can detect risks faster, prioritise investments in research and development for high-risk pathogens, and establish pandemic responses that build on the strengths of these diverse areas of expertise,” the Director added.

With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic causing loss of some US$4 trillion in global gross domestic product (GDP), to date, Dr. Etienne is urging countries, as they revisit their health budgets over the ensuring months, to rethink how they deliver healthcare and engage in global efforts to prevent the next pandemic.

“We [PAHO] want to urge everyone to build on this ‘One Health’ approach as the smartest, most cost-effective way to protect ourselves from the next crisis that can lead to a global pandemic.”