First meeting of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (Term II) advances Quadripartite collaboration

The One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) held its inaugural meeting for the second term on 18-19 September in South Africa, on the margins of the World One Health Congress. The meeting brought together a group of global experts to address health challenges arising at the human, animal and environment interface. Convened by the Quadripartite organizations - the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) - the panel plays a vital role in advising the Quadripartite collaboration on One Health. 

"The work of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel is critical in advancing our global efforts to promote One Health. We look forward to the continued contributions of this panel to foster resilient and sustainable One Health solutions." Fairouz Larfaoui, FAO animal health officer.

Over the two-day meeting, the Quadripartite updated panel members on their progress and plans for the roll out of the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA) and its implementation. OHHLEP discussed their workplan and agreed that efforts in Term II should focus on fully leveraging the augmented panel and building on the achievements of Term I to maintain the political momentum required for advancing One Health implementation. The panel will meet regularly to strengthen cohesion, communication, and collaboration across their diverse disciplines.