GLF BIODIVERSITY DIGITAL CONFERENCE: ONE WORLD – ONE HEALTH

Oct 28 – 29, 2020

A One Health approach for environmental, animal and human health

Thinking about one health as an approach into our landscapes!

How do we integrate environmental, animal and human health? How common is the topic? Well, a poll during the session showed that a good number of people have heard about it and few have worked on it. People think it is very important to integrate one health with the landscape approach. The reasons and the sense behind this discussion made it interesting to me and think its important approach to improving food systems globally. This is not to say that other discussions were less important, but because one health approach seems to be a good ingredient which can spice up the sustainable food systems recipe.

How is landscape connected to one health?

“We need to be proactive not react”, says Doctor Denis. He understood from research how viruses can spread from animals to human population. This is one among other challenges which calls for diversity in addressing it. Being proactive in this case means following up the viruses and find out why they leave their wildlife community to attach human population. What triggers these viruses? The answer is obvious, land use changes have moved greatly to wildlife species, making wildlife to cohabit with humans. The obvious example is the case of most vectors like bats and rodents.

Anything surprising?

To achieve one health, there is need to break the silos; entities should never work in isolation. Researchers were not surprised at the outbreak of COVID-19 for obvious reason cited above: humans’ invasion into animal territory, but what was startling to them was the failure of global community to act as a global community by working together. There seems to be so much focus on nationalism and populism. Drawing example from the global reaction to the outbreak of Avian influenza and H₁N₁ pandemic, the global community showed a good coordination and action in addressing the challenges; a reaction which is not showing during this COVID-19 crisis. It is therefore prudent to use COVID-19 crises as a teaching experience for the political and science communities to come together.

What is happening in other countries?

East Africa: Masai pastoralists use the ecosystems for livelihood and are exposed to multiple diseases. Years back, these people would have their animals graze in free ranges, but now, these areas are restricted. Attacks of wild animals on domestic ones has forced the communities to graze their animals on their small portions of owned land. They have since experienced more animal diseases. One health brings in biodiversity protection and health of humans. Animals which graze in a health environment are less exposed to diseases and thereby giving health meat to the people.

Latin America: in Brazil, IFIAD is making efforts to recover degraded areas, restore and conserve biodiversity. One way they are doing this is by the use of sustainable animal husbandry which includes rangeland management, livestock infrastructure, institution building, capacity building and animal health which is considered to be key for human health.

Sustainable management approach brings in the aspect of live fencing. The trees used give services such as: grazing control, biomass production, honey production and food for both humans and animals.

The project in Brazil work to empower women and youths by promoting backyard gardens and water harvesting technologies. Women empowerment renders the work of women to be visible and improve their mental health in that they able to meet and discuss in an interactive manner. Youth involvement promote capacity building for the future generation. Backyard gardens is a strategy to reduce human encroachment on ecosystems.

Agroecological approach which looks at the interaction between the environment, livestock and man contribute to one health phenomenon.

Asia: seeing that rangelands are the main source of food, Mongolia developed organizations looking at health food production and sustainable markets. Due to climate change, there is poor feed and more diseases in rangelands, giving raise to poor animal health and meat quality. Mongolia is working on meat control to ensure health food on the market. They are looking into mechanisms to upscale these efforts.

Voice from across the world.

The pan policy panel brings the voice from across the world:

• Coopt environmental and public health experts and break the silos of policies at all levels, without which, diseases which originate from poor management can become national issue and subsequently global issue because of trade movements.
• Working together to change mindset in the integrated landscape approach to address challenges of deforestation which come as a result of humans searching for good. Deforestation will increase disease risks. Therefore, care must be taken in look into the food systems; asking and answering questions (what are we producing? Where are we producing from?) to avoid encroaching across environments.
• Institutionalize one health like the case of Kenya where public and animal health have been brough together with efforts to now include environment.
• Nutrition aspects should not be hidden in all these efforts, because poor nutrition can increase poverty. Therefore, addressing hygiene in informal food (meat especially) markets should be part of the agenda.

What next?

After developing policies, how do we go about implementing them? One can cannot be an expert in everything, therefore, there is need to bring in experts from all angles to work together. More food and more consumption will bring changes in production. The challenge is to investigate which ones are suitable food systems. This means transforming the current food systems and scaling up.

Besides knowledge acquisition, implementation is important. Enhance one health and share resources among all players in the food systems. Use multisectoral approach and integrate issues of inequality.