*Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)
Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Many neglected tropical diseases are zoonotic, the disease transmitting between animals and people. These neglected zoonoses are often forgotten or overlooked but they continue to affect the poorest and marginalized communities.
Control and eventual elimination of such zoonoses requires an integrated approach to prevent and mitigate health threats at the animal-human ecosystem interface to achieve public health, a One Health approach.
Over a decade ago, WHO, FAO and OIE in the Asia-Pacific Region first gathered in Sapporo, Japan, to discuss how to collaborate within our Region as we respond to avian influenza and prepare for pandemic influenza.
Since then, this Regional Tripartite collaboration continues to evolve and expand their scope of collaborative work to other zoonoses, including rabies and neglected parasitic zoonoses.
We have worked hard to develop this effective regional collaboration to make changes happen at the country level.
From that, we know that the key to this is understanding and respecting the differences between each sector and agency, and having a long-term vision to connect different sectors in a practical way.
This has to be step-by-step, respecting different systems, and identifying effective connecting points to the context of each country, as we learn and improve through our response. We highlighted such in our regional vision, ‘For the Future’.
And now, we’re two years deep into the response to COVID-19. Governments around the world have recognized the importance of One Health and the need to continue to strengthen this area.
As a Regional Director who actually started this Regional tripartite collaboration, I wish to emphasize the critical importance of One Health collaboration at all levels to improve programmatic reach and strengthen outcomes, and hope to make this a partnership a model for One Health around the world.
Related links:
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2022
“Many neglected tropical diseases are zoonotic...Control & eventual elimination of such zoonoses requires an integrated approach to prevent & mitigate health threats, a One Health approach." - Dr @takeshi_kasai at today's virtual event for #WorldNTDday on 30 January#beatNTDs pic.twitter.com/oEDbsFr1xP
— World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific (@WHOWPRO) January 26, 2022