FAO Ghana advocates for the approval of the One Health policy
More efforts need to be done to ensure that the One Health Policy is passed by Parliament
On 3 November, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its partner WHO marked the commemoration of International One Health Day with the engagement of individuals, governments and organisations from different sectors to give relevance to the response to emerging and re-emerging zoonoses under a One Health approach at the animal-human-ecosystem interface in Ghana. One Health commemorations this year focus on creating increased awareness of 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.
This celebration has been coordinated by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) in close collaboration with the regional directorates of Ghana Health Service, Veterinary Services Directorate, Wildlife Division of Forestry Commission, Fisheries Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and Metro, Municipal and District Assemblies. This celebration has been the setting for advocating for consensus building and rapid approval of the One Health Policy for Ghana, which is currently at the final draft stage. Furthermore, the occasion has been used to increase awareness, and share promotional key messages on One Health for stakeholders, including the media with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
At the welcoming address, the Deputy Director of the Veterinary Service Directorate, Dr Danso Fenteng, elaborated on “One Health seeks to address in a holistic manner the dynamics surrounding the human-animal interactions with the environment and its impact on livelihoods and our well-being. Working together allows us to have the biggest impact on improving the health of people, animals, plants, and our shared environment. In his turn, FAO ECTAD country team leader, Garba Ahmed, indicated that “Today marks the 6th year since the institution of the International One Health day Celebration in Ghana and the 7th worldwide. The day is marked on the 3rd of November every year”. Further, the Director, for Surveillance of the Ghana Health Service of the Ministry of Health stated that “As a country, we stand solely to gain from a stronger and more harmonized collaboration as one health and most importantly when we all play our roles very actively and effectively”
One Health Policy in Ghana
The goal of this year’s International One Health Day is to oversee the parliamentary and cabinet approval of the draft One Health policy for Ghana. One of the steps forward in this respect has been the establishment of the One Health Technical Working Group (OHTWG) on One Health, which has facilitated country-wide consultative meetings and has come out with a final draft of the One Health Policy document for Ghana. However, more efforts need to be done to ensure the Policy is passed by Parliament. There is a need to sustain a national dialogue to build consensus and advocate for high-level acceptance and buy-ins across the key sectors to achieve the desired end of the One Health Policy for Ghana.
This year, International One Health Day has provided an opportunity to join together, since all stakeholders must team up against emerging and re-emerging zoonotic threats. Only by working together will we be able to have the most significant impact on improving the health of people, animals, and our shared environment in Ghana.