Build the world we want: A healthy future for all
SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS
So goes the theme of this year's (2022) Universal Health Coverage Day. Air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat are the three basic necessities to sustain life. But the poor quality of any of these can lead to unhealthy outcomes, which we are seeing in today's world in the form of a plethora of air, water and food borne illnesses. Destruction of biodiversity by humans is also creating conditions that abet the spread of new diseases. Logging, mining, deforestation, road construction, all bring people into closer contact with animal species. Data show that an estimated 75% of the emerging infectious diseases in humans have an animal origin, triggered by viruses or bacteria.
Then again, processed or unprocessed plant based foods like fruits, vegetables, etc are also carriers of food borne illnesses caused by pathogens, pesticides, or harmful toxins. And let us not forget that air pollution, that is closely linked to the earth's environment, is killing 6.7 million humans prematurely every year (due to ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer).
All this points to the fact that the health of human beings is impacted by the health of animals and agricultural produce, while all three are impacted by the health of our environment. Many of us live in close proximity to animals - be they pets or farm animals- and we consume a variety of plant/animal based foods, including seafood. No wonder, our health is bound to be affected by the microbes present in them and/or the toxins and chemicals that contaminate them.
Gyanendra Gongal, Senior Public Health Officer at The World Health Organization (WHO)'s regional office for Southeast Asia, rightly says that "There are increasing health risks from zoonotic diseases and pandemics, food safety hazards, antimicrobial resistance, and ecosystem degradation that jeopardise human, animal and environmental health and well being, with lasting implications on health and food security."
He was speaking at the online National media workshop on 'Applying One Health Approach in Reporting on Health and Development Issues' held recently in Bali, Indonesia, just prior to the 7th Asia Pacific Summit of Mayors (APCAT 2022 - hosted by the Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development - APCAT along with partners).
The One Health strategy connects human, animal, plant and environment health. It is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the environment are closely linked and inter-dependent. It thus enables multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary collaborations between human health, animal husbandry, and agriculture and climate change mitigation sectors to provide effective interventions at local, sub-national, country and global level to achieve the best health outcomes for the people, plants, animals, and the environment.
Sharing his country's response to One Health, Professor Dr Dante Saksono Harbuwono, Deputy Minister of Health of Indonesia said, "In Indonesia, the implementation of One Health Approach was strengthened by the issuance of a Presidential Instruction No.4/2019, which governs the national and sub-national institutions, including the cabinet ministers, governors, and mayors/sub-national leaders all over the country. The government has also set up the National Action Plan for Health Security for the period 2020-2024 to strengthen Communication, Coordination and Collaboration and Implementation of One Health Approach. One Health was also on the agenda of the recent G20 Summit that took place in Bali, Indonesia".
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