On 3 September 2024 a webinar was held on the implementation of the One Health initiative in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Member States and other countries of Central Asia.
The event was attended by 87 experts from the EEC, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the CIS Executive Committee, representatives of sanitary and epidemiological welfare, veterinary and phytosanitary services of the EAEU Member States as well as representatives of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Republic of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and trans-disciplinary approach, working at all healthcare levels, to achieve optimal health and well-being outcomes recognizing the interconnections between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.
The rapid development of technologies, innovations, and overall globalization have allowed humanity to make significant advances in healthcare, animal welfare, and preserving our planet.
At the same time, due to the increased global mobility of the population and the intensive growth of the agro-industrial complex, humans have come into much closer contact with animals and their habitats, which contributes to the rapid spread of various diseases.
Reducing disease risks, implementing innovative solutions in animal farming and ways to solve the antimicrobial resistance problem are major challenges to address jointly by all stakeholders.
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and WOAH sub-regional office in Central Asia have shared with webinar participants the experience of the interagency cooperation on the prevention and control of zoonotic infections, measures to prevent antimicrobial resistance and ensure food safety.
The discussion underpinned the importance of promoting of the antimicrobial resistance research and the benefits of the FAO-supported Regional Laboratory Network on Antimicrobial Resistance in Food and Agriculture in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The participants also discussed upcoming regional events and opportunities to implement the One Health approach in the EAEU member states.
The participants agreed to continue work on the implementation of the One Health concept at the request of representatives of the EAEU member states and countries of Central Asia.
The cooperation with the WHO, WOAH, FAO and Codex Alimentarius Commission while implementing solutions outlined in the One Health Concept will contribute to the effective prevention of the spread of infectious and mass non-infectious diseases and to further improvement of the EAEU legislation on the safety of food of animal origin circulating in the customs territory of the EAEU.
