Global Conference on One Health
21-22 May, 2015, Madrid, Spain
One Health is a relatively new concept advocating the integration of human, animal, and environmental health. The primary driver is to improve global health through the understanding how the complex environment in affecting and infections are transmitted.
Background
On May 21 and 22, 2015, the World Veterinary and World Medical Associations (WVA/WMA) held their first joint conference, in Madrid, Spain. Many international representatives, gathered together to address emerging health threats and share knowledge related to the “One Health” concept and plan prospective areas of collaboration. The notion that the environment can cause diseases is not new and was well known to the ancient Greeks who used physicians to evaluate the suitability of the planned regions for new settlements. Infections such as Norovirus (cruise ship disease), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Avian Influenza, Ebola, and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), further underscore this relationships. Humans, wild life and domesticated animals, especially pets, share many acute and chronic disorders. Foodborne illnesses are a common occurrence globally and recently sound the alarm of a potential for accelerated spread of microbial resistance. Globally, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Agriculture work with many countries as well as health partners to understand and reduce the spread of zoonosis. Promoting Vaccination of humans and animals, containment of Ebola and the antimicrobial drug resistance have received significant attention and funding in USA, and are using concepts of one health. European Union (EU), is playing a significant role in shaping the concept and enacting policies, laws and standards to reduce the use of growth promoters in agriculture. This link to the WVA/WMA conference report and individual power point presentations, is a useful reference material for professionals and policy makers interested in the “One Health” concept.
The conference is co-sponsored by the PSO’s World Medical & Health Policy journal, edited by Arnauld Nicogossian and Bonnie Stabile, at the School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs at George Mason University.
