The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) has recently organized a national workshop in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean to address the "One Health" approach, an integrated, unifying tool for joint assessment and control of zoonotic diseases.
The two-day workshop discussed the concept of the "One Health" approach, which requires combining the efforts of multiple sectors involved in combating zoonotic diseases in order to achieve optimal health for both humans and animals while also protecting the environment by assessing the risks associated with such diseases to lessen and control their effects.
Chaired by HE Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, the workshop was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the World Health Organization (WHO)and targeted workers in the health care, environmental health, and animal health sectors. Several representatives of local health authorities were present.
The workshop shed light on the role played by the tripartite alliance "the World Organization for Animal Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization" in promoting the One Health approach by coordinating local and global efforts to avoid the spread of infectious diseases.
Commenting on the occasion, Dr Hussain Al Rand stressed that the UAE’s health system is well-equipped to track, anticipate, and effectively address any disease and is also making the most of all available tools and resources to respond swiftly to pandemics. This would not have been possible had it not been for the support of the wise leadership, which has been keen to develop policies and adopt best practices aimed at enhancing the health of the community and establishing a sustainable health system."
He stressed the importance of bolstering cooperation among all parties concerned with community health and prevention in order to better track and control infectious diseases arising from animal sources.
Al Rand emphasized that the ministry, in cooperation with strategic partners, is looking forward to promoting the "One Health" approach and incorporating it into their strategies in order to efficiently assess common challenges, develop the necessary national plans, prepare for any potential risks and reduce their effects, taking into account the interaction between humans, animals and the environment.
The workshop featured a practical session, during which participants were trained on the steps to be followed in the risk assessment of zoonotic diseases, according to the "One Health" approach, and discussed ways to prevent and control them, and the guidelines for collective action in this respect.
The One Health is an approach that recognizes thatthe health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment and aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.