Formation of One Health Panel for advice on animal disease risk
Recently, the World Health Organization and three other international bodies have put together a team of experts to work on developing a global plan to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans.
One Health
- The initiative was initiated in the year 2020 by France and Germany, whose first meeting was held in May The panel will advise the World Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health -OIE, Food and Agriculture Organization-FAO, and the United Nations Environment Program -UNEP to develop a “risk assessment and surveillance frameworks”. And will help establish better strategies to prevent and formulate zoonotic diseases such as COVID.
Functions of Panel
- This panel has been formed keeping in view the background of the outbreak of COVID-19 Because it is believed that corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) originated from the trade of wildlife China and Southeast Asia. The closest genetic match to the corona virus has been found in bats.
- This panel will monitor potential transmission risks in food production and distribution, urbanization and infrastructure construction, international travel and trade and activities leading to biodiversity loss and climate change.
Zoonotic Outbreaks
- Zoonotic disease or outbreak is an infectious disease that which spreads between species, from animals to humans or from humans to animals.
Source – The Hindu