The Director Public Health, Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe has emphasised the need for all relevant stakeholders to work collectively to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on health.
He said with therapid growth in population, globalisation and environmental degradation, health threats had become more complex and that solutions could not be found by one sector alone.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe was speaking at the opening of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Performance of Veterinary Service National Bridging Workshop in Accra yesterday.
The three-day workshop is expected to increase awareness and understanding on the IHR, provide an opportunity to human and animal health services of hosting countries and build on the assessment conducted in the human health and animal health sectors respectively.
It is being organised by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and coordinated by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
"That is why the One Health approach leverages the idea that problems impacting human health, terrestrial and aquatic animals, plants and the environment can be effectively resolved through improved coordination, communication and collaborative actions across disciplines," he said.
"One Health is an integrated approach for preventing and mitigating health threats at the Animal-Human-Plant-Environment interfaces to achieve public health, food and nutrition security, sustainable ecosystems and fair trade facilitation," he stated.
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Dr Yaw Fenteng-Danso, Head of the Epidemiology Unit of the Veterinary Services Directorate said "the country has come a long way as far as the One Health Approach is concerned. We are now ready to move from the concept to One Health Implementation."
The Deputy Director-General at NADMO, Mr. SejiSajiwho spoke on behalf of the Director General said his outfit did not only deal with disaster but preparedness, recovery among others and that the workshop was timely to help stakeholders find better solutions to avert future catastrophe.
Dr Lillian Wambua, a representative from WOAH, said her organisation was committed to the One Health policy, which had aptly been defined as "an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems.
