“One Health”
By Mekonnen Teshome
Hawassa, Ethiopia : (August 4, 2023) – In the face of the world’s struggle against the emergence of very costly global infectious diseases and health calamities, Ethiopian interdisciplinary experts call for integrating “one health” approach in education and research which is critical to ensure sustainable health care.
This was announced today, August 4, 2023, at the opening of a two-day Net-Mapping exercise meeting organized by the Addis Ababa University, the multiplier of the Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) project in Ethiopia, and attended by multi-sectoral stakeholders drawn from including health, education, wildlife, environmental sectors in Hawassa city.
One such solution, known as the One Health approach, is a growing global strategy that is being adopted by health organizations and policy makers in response to health care needs, the experts underscored.
According to Dr. Feyesa Regassa , Chairman of the National One Health Steering Committee (NOHSC), mostly, since the start of the 21st century, infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics including the COVID-19 pandemic have increased and endangered lives and disrupt economies, travel, trade, and the food supply.
“These outbreaks are a sobering reminder of how every country remains vulnerable to emerging diseases and reinforces the essential role of global health security efforts in our everyday lives,” Dr. Feyesa added.
He also underlined that generating strategic and operational scientific evidences, early detection and genomic sequencing of emerging and new pathogens with in the wild and domestic reservoirs, and generating live saving and health security solutions including therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics are some the of the major ones to mention.
“Equally important and that requires a strong collaboration between respective sectors and beneficiaries is the timely dissemination and utilization of the scientific evidences generated in the universities and research institutes.” he further explained.
As to Dr. Feyesa the vast majority, more than 70%, of epidemic-prone infectious disease threats originate from animals, achieving global health security requires a sustained, coordinated, multisectoral one health approach that incorporates an understanding of the linkages between human, animal, and environmental health.
Dr.Mirgissa Kaba, Primary Investigator of Cohesa project in Ethiopia, on his part said that As part of its endeavor, COHESA plans to review of the educational sector’s role and experience in One Health and defining entry points to capacitate multidisciplinary stakeholders working on One Health.
As to Dr.Mirgissa, triangulating existing evidence reveals that current educational systems remains compartmentalized into specific disciplines, such as medicine, public health, veterinary science, and environmental science, social science etc. Such a structure defies interconnections, values in each other and potential role in each other’s field of study, he said.
Dr. Mirgissa indicated that most of the participants of the present workshop are from academia and research institute and the major objective is to establish network among influencers involved in OH education and research in Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa University thus has planned to bring together key actors in education and research as well as stakeholders that are working with such sector for a two day’s net-mapping exercise, he indicated.
Experts from Public universities, Public research institutions, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Authority, Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, relevant professional associations, key development partners and NGOs working on One Health are in attendance the two day Net-Mapping exercise in Hawassa city.
One Health recognizes the interconnected nature of human, animal, and environmental health in an attempt to inform health policy, expand scientific knowledge, improve healthcare training and delivery, and address sustainability challenges.
Education and research are expected to play a particularly important role in realizing the “One Health” concept.