Nigeria Participates In Melbourne Congress

Nigeria Participates In Melbourne Congress

Nigeria  is participating in the international congress on “One Health” holding in Melbourne , Australia from February 15 th to 18 th .

Dr. Junaidu Maina of the Federal Department of Livestock in the Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja , who is representing Nigerian at the congress in Melbourne , said that the  ''One Health'' concept is a worldwide strategy, aimed at expanding interdisciplinary collaboration and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment.

Maina said it also included all collaborations between veterinarians, dentists, physicians and other professionals in scientific health and environmentally related disciplines.

Collaboration

He said that the confab was an opportunity to think “outside of the box” and into the future in order to make recommendations on policy and organisational changes using the underlying science to inform and drive the process. 

''It will consider these in the general context of the science and research being undertaken, but critically it will focus on the outcomes that need to be achieved to effectively manage the growing risks to global health and cooperation through trade promotion,'' he said.

Maina said for the first time, it was envisaged that a global consideration of interrelated issues of animal and human health and the relationship with the environment can take the science to the policy maker and thus drive real and profound change.

``We see this as setting a pathway that in 10 to15 years will result in a seamless approach to infectious disease management with both the resources and those with the skills and knowledge intimately linked,'' he said.

Challenges

He stressed that the world today faces enormous challenges due to emerging and re-emerging disease spread, globalisation, climate change, internal conflicts and strife which directly impacts on trade, food security and food safety.

Maina said that these challenges were more glaring in the less developed countries especially the Sub-Saharan Africa. 

He noted that over the years the ''One Health'' concept had brought together experts working in the areas of animal and human health to discuss the challenges posed by global outbreaks of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

He, however, stressed the need for an urgent and a growing interest to broaden the agenda to reflect perspectives that incorporates environmental issues and global survival.

He said that One Health has provided a new synthesis for public health and veterinary communities, particularly in the United States of America , Europe and Australia .

According to Maina, African countries have yet to fully assimilate and integrate the concept which undermines the ''One Health concept''.

NAN/Margaret/Yinka