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What is the News?
The World Health Organization(WHO) has formed a One Health High-Level Expert Panel.
About One Health High-Level Expert Panel:
- Purpose: The panel has been formed to study the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases. Such as H5N1, avian influenza, MERS, Ebola, Zika and possibly the novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19).
- Mandate of the Panel:
- Firstly, to consider the impact of human activity on the environment and wildlife habitats.
- Secondly, to analyse the factors that lead to transmission of a disease from animal to human and vice versa
- Thirdly, to develop risk assessment and surveillance frameworks;
- Fourthly, to identify capacity gaps as well as agreement on good practices that help to prevent and prepare for zoonotic outbreaks.
- Approach: The panel will operate under the One Health Approach. This approach recognizes the links between the health of people, animals, and the environment.
- Advisory Role: The panel will advise four global agencies on how future outbreaks especially due to zoonotic diseases can be averted. These four organisations are:
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- World Health Organization(WHO)
- World Organisation for Animal Health(OIE) and
- United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP).
What is One Health Approach?
- It is an approach that recognizes that the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems as interconnected one.
- Hence, it involves applying a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach at the local, regional, national and global levels. It will address potential or existing risks that originate at the animal-human ecosystems interface.
What are Zoonotic Diseases?
- Zoonosis is an infectious disease that spreads from non-human to humans.
- Zoonotic pathogens may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic. They can spread to humans through direct contact or through food, water, and the environment.
- Three of every four infectious diseases are caused by zoonosis. Moreover, scientists across the world suspect COVID-19 is also a zoonosis disease.
Source: Down To Earth
