The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has called on the ministers of health, agriculture, environment and water resources to support resource mobilisation and budget line for the operationalisation of the One Health approach in their ministries.
The director-general of the agency, Ifedayo Adetifa, made the call Friday in Abuja during the inaugural meeting of the National One Health Technical Steering Committee and commemoration of the 2023 One Health Day.
One Health is a collaborative, multi-sectoral and trans-disciplinary approach working at local, regional, national and global levels to achieve optimal health outcomes by recognising the interconnection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.
He said, “The importance of One Health cannot be overstated. Our world faces complex and interrelated health challenges, ranging from zoonotic diseases to antimicrobial resistance, and the overarching threat of climate change. These issues know no borders, and they impact not only human health but also the wellbeing of animals and the environment. To address them effectively, we must adopt a collaborative and holistic approach.”
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Dr Adetifa also called on them to support optimal optimisation and interoperability of preparedness and response systems, including joint surveillance, across human, animal environment, as well as risk assessments and responses to One Health challenges.
