communication, collaboration and complementarity to solve real life problems

Many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are the result of different types of interactions and often complex transmission cycles between humans and animals, vertebrates and invertebrates, and changing social and environmental conditions.

Completing the neglect of achieving sustainable development goals: a roadmap for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030 was approved last week by the Seventy-third World Health Assembly. The roadmap supports a cross-sectoral strategy that includes One Health and the measures expressed in the Global Response to Vector Control (GVCR) 2017-2030.

The World Health Organization (WHO) webinar on health and GVCR (November 18) focused on integrating neglected zoonotic diseases, vector-borne diseases and resuscitating snake bites, and on how to address common determinants and maximize cross-sectoral initiatives.

The first plate – One health

Keith Sumption, Chief Veterinary Director, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), spoke about the current programmatic approach and tools available to run national agencies in the veterinary, human health and environmental sectors from 15 years ago. Cross-sectoral cooperation has brought people together. He commented on the work needed for tripartite cooperation (FAO – OIE – WHO) on advocating the “One Health” approach at the global level.

Mathew Stone, Director-General of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), said that the transmission of zoonotic diseases to humans requires a thorough understanding of science backed by strong evidence and collaboration between agencies globally, as reflected in the model and work of tripartite collaboration. manifests in many areas of work, including bird flu and rabies.

Anand Kumar, CEO, Indian Immunologicals Limited, commented on the pharmaceutical industry’s contribution in supporting the global One Health initiative, adding that much more can be done. He talked about the low cost of producing vaccines in India, especially pentavalent human vaccines (which can fight five diseases at the same time), and they are delivered at a price of 0.25 US dollars per unit.

Edmundo Larrieu, a professor at the Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro (Argentina), spoke about the need for political and public visibility in order to achieve One Health. He said the current challenge is to combine a veterinary and public health approach into joint action.

Wendy Harrison, CEO, SCI Foundation (UK), put the role and importance of involving local communities in One Health as key to fully understanding the shared complexity of the environment, animals and people. It is therefore important to work together in all sectors to increase awareness and the flow of information to address interrelated issues arising from animal husbandry in communities.

Sanjib Kumar Sharma, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Nepal), explained how sleeping nets protect people not only from mosquitoes, but also contribute to protecting the Nepalese population from snake bites. In many cases, nocturnal snake bites are the result of human behavior and situations in which people sleeping on the floor have a higher risk of snake bites entering homes at night in search of food.

Panel two – GVCR

This panel discussed the growing threat and spread of mosquito vectors and the importance and contribution of GVCR and measures to mitigate the effects of mosquito vectors, arbovirus diseases, and climate change.

Steve Lindsey, a senior professor at Durham University (UK), noted that arbovirus diseases have increased exponentially, while the number of entomologists has declined, jeopardizing global work against vectors. The fact that more people are showing interest in online courses is a good sign. As of today, about 25 countries have implemented GVCR, and many others are planning to integrate into their national plans. Vector control also involves designing better housing structures and using lessons learned from dengue and chikungunya for better urban planning in tropical and subtropical regions.

Emmanuel Chanda, WHO entomologist, explained that guidance and technical support to countries in the African region to improve their vector control management strategies has resulted in better resource mobilization and multisectoral cooperation.

Lee Ching, director of the Institute for Environmental Protection (Singapore), spoke about the country’s many years of experience in dengue control and innovation Wolbachia a project carried out in stages following several risk assessment studies. She also stressed the importance of integrating the environment, housing, water and other sectors, including communities, in order to benefit from cross-sectoral cooperation.

Ashwani Kumar, Director, Vector Control Research Center (India), noted that India has moved from insecticide dependence to integrated vector management that relies on a cross-sectoral approach.

Afif Ben Salah, vice dean, graduate student and research at the University of the Arabian Gulf (Bahrain), spoke about the complexity of zoonotic diseases involving vectors, human behavior and the environment. Optimizing control measures, understanding the environmental context (including social, cultural, and behavioral factors), and maximizing assets are some of the best ways to move forward.

Panel three – work with everyone

Daniel Eibach, Senior Policy Adviser in Health, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany), pointed out that 75% of all emerging diseases come from animals. With the increase in world population and climate change and increasing mobility and the spread of humans to new habitats, the risk of new pathogens is likely to increase rapidly. Recognizing the importance of this complexity, the German government has established a new administration for One Health, which has already launched several initiatives mainly in Africa.

Lord Alexander Trees, Professor Emeritus, Member of the Club of Lords of Veterinary Parasitology, Member of Lord House (UK), has dedicated more than 30 years of his professional life to One Health. Communication, collaboration and complementarity are the three keys to solving real problems. He said the UK government remains committed to supporting One Health through many initiatives, and also spoke of a recent move that brings together various research councils under one umbrella to support public funding for scientific research. He added that the world now has a new roadmap: vehicles are needed to manage those roads on the map, as well as processes and structures to achieve a high level of co-operation, especially at the local level.

Victoria Goodfellow, CEO, Lion’s Head Global Partners (UK), highlighted NTD’s financial challenges in enabling continuity of program work. She cited, for example, the establishment of a common funding mechanism as a single source of funding that enables the implementation of program activities and facilitates cross-border cooperation as crucial to the success of the program. For elimination programs, she mentioned the establishment of a capital market where bonds can secure long-term financing, as practiced by organizations like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to reconcile the gap between the donor budget and program implementation.

Mwele Malecela, Director of the Department of Neglected Tropical Diseases Control of the World Health Organization, thanked everyone for their support and shared her congratulations on the approval of the new roadmap by the World Health Assembly last week. She said achieving the goals by 2030 will only happen with co-operation and co-ordination between sectors, with strong land ownership. She stressed that real differences will only happen when communities support control and removal programs, including cross-sectoral cooperation, and consider NTD a development and health problem.

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The next NTD webinar on December 2, 2020 relates to partnership. Registration is open.