With the support of Sida, icipe and partners launch seminal One Health initiative
With the support of Sida, icipe and partners launch seminal One Health initiative
The Accelerate-One Health project will leverage on existing expertise and partnerships in Ethiopia and Kenya to respond to pest and diseases developmental challenges through integrated system thinking
The world is dealing with an array of multifaceted development challenges that significantly impact health. These obstacles demonstrate the intrinsic inter-connection of human, animal, plant, and environmental health, and the urgent imperative for holistic and systematic thinking and approach to solve them.
Thus, in recent years, there has been a global resurgence towards the One Health concept. In 2021, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted the following operational definition, as recommended by an advisory panel: “One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems”. This unifying definition recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent.
The initial focus of the One Health concept was on the triad of health (human, animal and environment) targeting zoonotic diseases. However, it is now apparent that One Health can help to transform practices in food safety (for example, aflatoxin contamination); food systems and agriculture including the significant impact of invasive species to the health and wellbeing of human, animal, plant and the environment. The One Health approach also provides a basis for integrated system thinking for knowledge and innovation, to build up equity and diversity to promote better health, nutrition, and sustainable ecosystem.
For close to three decades, the icipe research and development activities have been delivered through the 4Hs thematic approach: Human Health, Animal Health, Plant Health and Environmental Health. The icipe 4Hs thematic approach is a visionary, holistic integrated framework that uses insects as a common thread for socio-economic transformation in Africa. While each of the icipe 4Hs Themes has a seemingly explicit and distinct mandate, their activities and impact is remarkably extensive. Arguably, the far reaching and transformative impact of the 4Hs framework places icipe ahead of the curve in in the global ambition towards One Health. Indeed, the icipe Vision and Strategy 2021-2025 document emphasises a One Health approach of the Centre has been an effective option to responding to developmental challenges.
With the support of Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (Sida), icipe has launched a seminal initiative known as ‘Accelerating One Health interventions for tackling pandemics at source’ (Accelerate-One Health). The project will leverage on existing expertise and partnerships in Ethiopia and Kenya to respond to pest and diseases developmental challenges of One Health significance.
The expected outputs are: (i) strengthened multi-sectoral collaboration and partnerships on One Health; (ii) insect related biotic constraints of One Health significance tackled at source through proactive surveillance, modelling and forecasting and advisory ecosystem; (iii) the drivers to invasive pest expansion known, food safety concerns tackled and intervention tools and technologies for management developed and implemented; and (iv) impact evidence generated to support inform policy making and capacity built at various levels of competencies on One Health.
Accelerate One-Health project is aligned with Sida’s five perspectives of: (i) contribution to people living in poverty; (ii) realisation of human rights; (iii) promoting gender equality and empowerment of women; (iv) environment and climate change; and (v) contributing to conflict resolution and peace building.
