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On November 11, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) together with World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners launched the 2021 commemorations of the International One Health Day, focusing on creating increased awareness on the One Health approach at community levels as well as bringing the attention of policymakers and donors to understanding the intricate interplay of One Health.

One Health is an integrated approach for preventing and mitigating health threats at the Animal-Human-Plant-Environment interfaces to achieve public health, food and nutrition security, sustainable ecosystems and fair trade facilitation.

With rapid population growth, globalization and environmental degradation, health threats have become more complex. Solutions cannot be found by one sector alone. The One Health approach leverages the idea that problems impacting human health, terrestrial and aquatic animals, plants and the environment can be effectively resolved through improved coordination, communication and collaborative actions across disciplines and that these solutions be sustainable.

In Ghana, the FAO provides technical and financial support to the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to improve One Health implementation in compliance with International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) of the World Health Organization (WHO).

At the strike of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAO equipped veterinary laboratories and lab technicians in the country, especially in Accra, Takoradi, and Pong-Tamale were identified by the President of Ghana to augment the efforts of the public health labs in testing for the disease.

At the ceremony, the Deputy Director of the Veterinary Service Directorate and Regional Director of the Greater Accra, Dr Joseph Kofi Abuh, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Veterinary Officer, said, “to be able to tackle this threat of emerging and re-emerging diseases timely and appropriately, all stakeholders must share adequate and timely information whiles involving them in activities like preparedness and response to such threats”

He Said, “In recent times, the increasing incidence of emerging and re-emerging diseases has brought to the front burner the need to strengthen the collaboration between the human, animal and environmental health under the One Health concept as a way of dealing with them”.

The FAO Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Disease ECTAD Country Team Leader in Ghana, Garba Ahmed, indicated that the FAO Representation in Ghana will continue to support the various efforts of the Government of Ghana in promoting a One Health approach and mitigating the impact of zoonotic diseases, transmitted from animals to humans.

Furthermore, the FAO has also supported the establishment of a One Health Technical Working Group to ensure effective coordination mechanisms of the One Health approach for addressing cross-cutting problems such as management and awareness-raising within the One Health context. This approach contributes to consistent and synergetic decision-making, devoid of gaps and duplication of effort.

FAO, WHO and OIE are the tripartite committee members on One Health, whereas the Technical Working Group in Ghana including the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ghana Health Service (GHS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ghana Red Cross Society and USAID Breakthrough Action.