Protecting PNG’s People, Environment and Animals.
The health of humans, animals, either domestic or wild and plants is closely linked and interdependent. This has led to the establishment of the One Health Concept. This concept roots back to the 19th Century and was known as One Medicine and was first used by a German pathologist, Rudolf Virchow, who studied diseases that spread between humans and animals. In 2008, the concept now formally known as One Health was jointly developed and promoted by three major international organisations, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
This concept promotes collaboration across health, veterinary and environmental sectors to prevent and control diseases that spread between people, animals and the environment. This is considered a relevant approach to Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) health and environmental challenges. Through the Asia-Pacific Initiative on One Health, PNG was selected in 2017 as one of 3 countries to pilot the One Health Concept. This was spearheaded by the FAO in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders such as the National Department of Health and the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority.
According to experts from the FAO, cooperation across these sectors is vital considering how the health of humans, animals and the environment are all connected. The One Health Concept reiterates the fact that the well-being of humans cannot be achieved in isolation, it depends on the health of the animals we care for and the environment we share.
What are your thoughts on this concept? Do you think that strengthening collaborative efforts by relevant stakeholders in achieving the objectives of the country program is key in building a healthier, more resilient PNG?
Leave a Reply