Kohang Guing
In a world where majority of our day-to-day issues such as human health, animal welfare and environmental sustainability are deeply intertwined, the One Health approach has never been more needed. I believe many of us are already common with the idea of One Health. As per WHO, One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. In simple words, One Health is the idea that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are all connected and if one is affected, the others are also affected.
One Health may appear to be a new idea, but the concept extends way back. The famous Greek physician Hippocrates, in his text “On Airs, Waters, and Places”, promoted the concept that the public health depended on clean environment. Rudolf Virchow (19th Century) coined the term “zoonosis” (diseases transmitted from animals to humans) and promoted the idea that human and animal medicine are closely linked, hence, creating a foundation of the One Health approach. World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) were established in the 1940s, during and after WWII as the global attention turned to diseases spreading between animals and humans.
World Veterinary Association (WVA) & World Medical Association (WMA) signed the historic collaborative One Health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 13th October, 2012, at the General Assembly meeting of the World Medical Association (WMA) in Bangkok by WVA President, Dr. Faouzi Kechrid and WMA President, Dr. Cecil B. Wilson, which can be viewed as a unifying approach to veterinary and human medicine (veterinarians and physicians) in order to improve global health.
The late 20th and early 21st century have seen a significant rise in the risk of emerging zoonotic diseases such as:
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) - 1981
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) – 2003
• Ebola Haemorrhagic fever –1976
• West Nile virus - 1999
• The Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) – 1997
• Swine flu – a re-emerging disease
• COVID-19
Tackling such diseases is not an easy task and requires extensive surveillance of wildlife, livestock and human populations which is rather difficult due to difference between the various fields involved. One Health helps to tackle such obstacles by:
1. Monitoring and controlling diseases in animals, such as the ones mentioned above. We can reduce the risk and outbreak of over 75% of the emerging infectious diseases in humans.
2. Promoting responsible use of antibiotics across medical and veterinary fields as the overuse of antibiotics leads to the development of drug-resistant infectious agents.
3. Promoting the message of maintaining the environment and dives into issues such as climate change, deforestation, pollution and threats to food and water security.
We can all agree that One Health is of great importance but there are challenges, as said earlier, in implementing as in real life, there is lack of cooperation between human and veterinary health sectors. Limited fundings and insufficient public awareness are also major issues which greatly affect implementation of One Health.
Hence, to solve such issues and to strengthen One Health, we have to invest in cross-disciplinary research and policies. Enhancement of disease surveillance and educating the public on the importance of environmental conservation and public health can also be looked upon. This is all possible only when the governments, researchers and communities come together and work as one.
As the human population explodes further and further, we can expect the emergence of newer diseases which may be caused by animals or due to the careless behaviour of human towards the environment. Therefore, addressing the concept of One Health needs to enhanced more and more as well as the collaboration between many levels. The ‘one world, one health, one medicine’ concept must be embraced nationally and globally. It must not just be considered as a scientific experiment but rather as a necessity for a better and sustainable world. When we recognize that the health of people, animals and the environment is deeply connected, we take a crucial step towards a safer and healthier future for all.
“The health of humans, animals, and the environment are like threads in a web – pull one, and the whole structure shakes.” – Adapted from Indigenous wisdom.
Sources:
• WHO
• Wikipedia
The writer is 3rd Year BVSc & AH Student, CVSC & AH Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram
